35: The first step in building a business empire

He posted recruitment information online while also contacting two headhunters to see which side could find an assistant first.

Wang Ning, 34 years old, currently unemployed, majored in finance in university. In the past ten years, he had changed jobs eight times, dabbling in various industries. The reason no job lasted long was that he had too much of a conscience.

Wang Ning was smart and hardworking; his first job was in sales at a training institution.

When he joined, the training instructors told them that their industry was the most sacred, and that they had the most perfect service processes to serve children and parents, cultivating talent for the country.

Wang Ning toiled away for three months and accidentally figured out everything about the institution: "sacred" meant high tuition fees, and "perfect service processes" meant exploiting employees.

For the sake of making a living, Wang Ning originally wanted to persevere, but in the end, he couldn't take it. The company wanted to promote him to supervisor and have him personally "paint big cakes" for the newly hired college students. He didn't want to do such unscrupulous things, so he resigned. Although he changed industries for his subsequent jobs, they were all more or less the same.

This is why corporate culture is very important. Wang Ning kept looking for a place with a corporate culture he could identify with, and this search had lasted ten years.

Almost all of his college classmates had started families, married, and had children. Only he remained an unemployed vagrant to this day. His parents were worried about him, and Wang Ning was also a bit tired. He planned to look for a job one last time; if he still couldn't find one, he planned to return to his hometown.

On a recruitment app, Wang Ning saw the recruitment information posted by Lu Qingyu: hiring a private assistant and manager, salary negotiable.

After browsing the specific requirements, Wang Ning felt he met the criteria quite well. With a "give it a try" mindset, he sent over his resume.

After Lu Qingyu screened several resumes, he became interested when he saw Wang Ning's.

This person's work experience spanned various industries; although the durations were short, the variety was rich. His resume was four pages long in total; the first page was a standard introduction, while the following three pages were insights into various industries and subtle expressions of his character.

Down-to-earth, hardworking, doesn't need leaders to "paint big cakes," nor does he do it to others, and doesn't flatter. Lu Qingyu smiled at this. This person seemed like someone who wouldn't be flexible; such people are the "main arteries" in a company—working tirelessly but not knowing how to speak up. The credit is taken by the supervisor, and the leadership thinks they can't do anything, but the company suffers miserably after they are fired.

Wang Ning sent out twenty resumes today, but only four people replied. Three were scared off during the chat, and one even cursed him out for being a difficult person.

Looking at his "track record," Wang Ning sighed. Was he really going to have to return to his hometown?

Resigning himself to fate, Wang Ning pulled out his phone to check train tickets home. The rent for his current apartment expired in three days, and the landlord was already pressing for a renewal. There wasn't much money left in his bank card. Forget it, he'd go home.

Just as he was about to buy a ticket, his phone chimed with a notification. Wang Ning opened it and saw: "Hello, I've seen your resume and think you meet my recruitment requirements. Do you have time for an interview?"

Wang Ning's breath hitched when he saw it. An interview—there was a chance. Fearing the other party didn't understand his requirements for choosing a job, Wang Ning specifically asked: "May I ask if you've read the content at the end of my resume?"

Lu Qingyu: "Of course I have. It's precisely because I read it that I chose you."

Wang Ning felt a bit excited. To find someone who still wanted to talk after reading the later content, he had found a kindred spirit: "What time is convenient for you? Where? I'm available anytime."

Lu Qingyu checked his watch. It was nine o'clock in the evening. Su Jixing would be coming over tomorrow to discuss future activities with him, so he probably wouldn't have much time.

"Is ten o'clock tonight okay? At Emerald Dragon Court, Building 3, Room 1809."

Wang Ning: Ten o'clock? At night? This was the first time someone had scheduled an interview so late. Could it be a scammer? However, Emerald Dragon Court was an extremely high-end residential area. He heard they were all large luxury apartments. Someone living in such a place probably wouldn't be a scammer.

For the first time, Wang Ning was so conflicted. He paced back and forth in the room, his heart tormented as if on fire. But thinking that if this didn't work out, he'd have to go home, he still wanted to give it one last shot.

Wang Ning stood up abruptly. He wasn't a girl, so what was there to fear about walking at night? He'd go.

So, Wang Ning scanned a shared bike and headed straight for Emerald Dragon Court.

Lu Qingyu spoke with the security guard, who personally escorted the man to the entrance of the building.

This was Wang Ning's first time inside. The residential area was huge, with many green spaces and fountains, making it very aesthetically pleasing.

Arriving at the door of 1809, Wang Ning nervously rang the doorbell. He thought the person opening the door would be in their forties or fifties, but he didn't expect the person to be so young.

"Hello, I am Wang Ning. I have an appointment with President Lu."

Wang Ning thought this was President Lu's son.

Lu Qingyu: "Please, come in."

Lu Qingyu invited Wang Ning into the room. Wang Ning sat down nervously. Lu Qingyu brought him a glass of water and then began to ask:

"What are your salary requirements?"

This question stunned Wang Ning. Why was he asking? Where was the elder President Lu?

Wang Ning: "How about letting me talk to your father?"

Now it was Lu Qingyu's turn to be stunned. After realizing, he immediately smiled: "You didn't think the person talking to you about the job online was my dad, did you?"

A bolt of lightning struck Wang Ning's mind: "Was it not?"

Lu Qingyu shook his head: "Allow me to introduce myself formally. My name is Lu Qingyu, and I am the one who talked to you about the job online."

Wang Ning was instantly petrified. He couldn't help but look Lu Qingyu up and down. No way, was he being played? The person in front of him looked like he wasn't even twenty.

"You... you must be joking."

Lu Qingyu took out his phone and showed the content to Wang Ning. This time, Wang Ning was truly dumbfounded, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"You... I... you..."

At this moment, Wang Ning's mind was racing. Seeing Wang Ning's state, Lu Qingyu knew he thought he was too young and assumed he was treating hiring like a game.

Lu Qingyu: "Since you're already here, let's sit down and talk."

Out of politeness, Wang Ning did sit down, but he planned to stay for just a moment and then leave.

However, how could Lu Qingyu let someone he favored leave so easily?

Lu Qingyu asked the previous question again: "What is your expected salary?"

In his previous work experience, Wang Ning's highest base salary was only eight thousand. He thought about it and decided to ask for more, hoping this young man would give up on him so he could leave sooner.

Wang Ning: "My ideal annual salary is 1.2 million, plus 'six insurances and two funds,' 45 days of annual leave, with performance bonuses and commissions calculated separately."

Wang Ning's last annual salary was 200,000. He had directly sextupled it. With these salary and benefits requirements, any ordinary recruiter seeing Wang Ning's demands would surely curse him for being crazy.