Video Editor

After get off work, Wu Hongmei went to the supermarket and bought a bunch of things: milk, fruit, frozen dumplings, and several bags of snacks. She carried two large bags and went straight to Su Xiao's place.

She stood at the door and knocked for a long time, but there was no response from inside.

She knocked a few more times, but still no one answered.

Wu Hongmei immediately took out her phone and called Su Xiao, but no one answered after several rings.

Wu Hongmei stood at the door, feeling increasingly panicked.

Now that Su Xiaogang has been fired and broken up with Zhou Jun, with one blow after another, will she be thinking of doing something drastic while she's alone at home?

Wu Hongmei became increasingly frightened the more she thought about it.

Just as she was about to ask the property management for help to open the door, she heard footsteps coming from the stairwell, and Su Xiao slowly walked up carrying a small bag.

Su Xiao's hair had clearly been styled and cut shorter, making her look much more energetic.

Seeing Wu Hongmei standing at her door, covered in sweat and carrying two large bags, Su Xiao was taken aback. "Hongmei? What brings you here?"

As soon as Wu Hongmei saw Su Xiao, her tense nerves relaxed instantly, and she couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief: "My God, you're finally back. You scared me to death, you know? I knocked on the door for ages and you weren't there, and you didn't answer the phone either. I almost thought something had happened to you inside."

Su Xiao took out her phone and saw that there were indeed several missed calls. She said somewhat embarrassedly, "I went to get a haircut and put my phone on silent, so I didn't hear them."

Wu Hongmei looked her up and down to make sure she was alright before she was finally relieved.

Su Xiao opened the door and let Wu Hongmei in. Seeing her take things out of the bag one by one, including milk and fruit, Su Xiao felt a lump in her throat.

“Hongmei,” Su Xiao said, “thank you.”

Wu Hongmei stuffed the things into the refrigerator and said without turning her head, "No need to thank me, we're like family! By the way, Xiaoxiao, I have something to tell you, don't overthink it, I tried to give your resume to our HR director today, but I got a good scolding."

Su Xiao wasn't surprised to hear this, and instead smiled: "You're silly. With my current reputation, who would want me?"

Wu Hongmei closed the refrigerator door, turned around and said seriously, "Don't be discouraged. You are really capable. In this industry, you can't rely on connections forever. Sooner or later, someone will see your abilities."

Su Xiao nodded and said, "I'll go to the personnel bureau tomorrow to pick up my cost engineer certificate. I'll get the certificate first."

“That’s true! Sharpening your axe won’t delay your woodcutting.” Wu Hongmei nodded in strong agreement.

"That's right! That's exactly what I think."

At this moment, Wu Hongmei suddenly remembered something, "Oh right! Didn't you say last time that your cousin came to stay with you? Is he still in Shanghai?"

"Yes! He's still in Shanghai! I was planning to help him find a job after this busy period, but now I'm in dire straits myself."

"Tell me about his situation, maybe I can help him."

"Forget it! His situation is a bit complicated. He didn't even graduate from a third-tier university, so he can't find a decent job."

"That is indeed quite troublesome! Although the value of academic qualifications is constantly depreciating, it is still the entry ticket for many industries."

"Yes! It's really troublesome."

"I'll ask other HR professionals later to see if there are any suitable positions."

"Alright! Hongmei, I've troubled you again."

"You're too kind! Given our relationship, isn't your cousin practically my cousin too?"

……

The next morning, Su Xiao went to the personnel bureau.

She queued for ages, and when it was finally her turn, she handed over her ID card. The staff at the window checked it on the computer, looked up, and said, "Su Xiao, right? Your cost engineer certificate application didn't pass."

Su Xiao thought she had misheard: "What? It didn't pass? Why?"

The staff member glanced at the screen: "The system shows there's a problem with your eligibility review. I can't see the specific reason here. You can go back and wait for further notice."

“…” Su Xiao stood in front of the window, feeling as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

She took the Level 1 Cost Engineer exam and prepared diligently for so long, thinking that getting the certificate would increase her chances of finding a job, but she didn't even pass the initial screening.

She didn't know if someone was sabotaging her behind the scenes or if it was simply a system problem.

But no matter what, without the certificate, she has one less card in her hand.

Su Xiao felt a tightness in her chest as she left the personnel bureau. She was about to take the subway when she suddenly stopped at the roadside.

A black sedan was parked across the street. The door opened, and Zhou Jun got out of the car.

Zhou Jun was wearing a well-tailored suit, with a smile on his face that she used to know very well.

Zhou Jun walked to the other side of the car, opened the car door, and Li Xue came out.

The two walked side by side toward an office building next door, talking as they went. Li Xue even turned her head and smiled at Zhou Jun.

Su Xiao stood on this side of the road, watching the backs of the two people, her right hand unconsciously tightening its grip on the bag strap.

Suddenly, I remembered that I had tried on a wedding dress just a few days ago and was discussing the specific details of the wedding with Zhou Jun.

But now Zhou Jun is all smiles, accompanying another woman as if Su Xiao had never existed.

Su Xiao neither stepped forward nor called out to Zhou Jun.

She stood there until the two men walked into the office building and disappeared behind the door.

Su Xiao took a deep breath, turned around and left.

She told herself that she couldn't just let it go like this.

I can be fired, I can be dumped, but I can't let others trample on my professional reputation.

The accident in the affordable housing project was caused by the wrong type of cement, so the responsibility does not lie with her. Why should she take the blame?

When Su Xiao got home, she immediately turned on her computer, sat in front of a blank document for a long time, and then started typing.

She meticulously documented the actual situation regarding the cement procurement for the affordable housing project, the details of the mismatch in cement models, and the process of her dismissal, compiling these into a complaint letter.

After writing it, I read it over several times to make sure that every word was based on facts and that no sentence was an emotional outburst. Then I printed out the letter, put it in an envelope, and mailed it to the district construction project team.

After sending out the whistleblower letter, Su Xiao began sending out resumes non-stop.

She sifted through a bunch of construction company positions on job search websites, applying to every single one that matched her major, regardless of size.

Su Xiao thought that she had at least a few years of experience as a cost manager, and even if being fired by Zhongjian was not a good thing, there would always be someone willing to give her an interview opportunity.

However, reality was far crueler than Su Xiao had imagined.

In her first interview, Su Xiao had barely sat down when the HR manager glanced at her resume, looked up, and asked, "You came from Zhongjian? You mean Zhongjian, the company whose affordable housing project collapsed?"

“…” Su Xiao nodded.

Just as I was about to explain the situation, the other party pushed my resume back, saying, "Sorry, we're not considering this at the moment."

The second company's situation is even more straightforward.

Su Xiao didn't even get to see the interviewer. The HR specialist stopped her at the front desk and said, "Our company is aware of your situation. We will keep your resume and notify you when we have any updates."

They didn't even pour her a glass of water.

The third, fourth, fifth... they were all the same.

The news of Su Xiao's dismissal from Zhongjian has spread throughout the industry. Companies of all sizes know that there is such a person who is linked to the accident in the affordable housing project.

No one was willing to take the risk of hiring Su Xiao, no matter how strong her business skills were or how impressive her resume was. As soon as they saw the keywords "Zhongjian Group" and "dismissal", they would immediately filter her out.

Su Xiao spent a whole week interviewing at more than a dozen companies, but none of them were willing to hire her.

In the end, only a small company located in a residential building gave her a chance.

This company doesn't even have a proper office; they rented a three-bedroom apartment and converted it into workspace. There are seven or eight tables in the living room, and the bedroom is the boss's office. The company has about ten people and mainly takes on small, miscellaneous renovation projects.

The boss, surnamed Ma, was in his forties. During the interview, after looking at Su Xiao's resume, his first words were: "I've heard about your situation, but I don't care about that. If you want to work for me, there are two things you have to accept: first, the salary isn't high, and second, there's a lot of overtime. Is that okay?"

Su Xiao nodded almost without hesitation.

She really doesn't have the right to be picky right now. As long as she has a job that allows her to gain a foothold in this industry, she can slowly move forward.

After starting work, Su Xiao worked harder than anyone else.

No matter what task Mr. Ma assigned, Su Xiao would eagerly take it on, doing everything from preparing quotes and running around to reviewing contracts.

Working overtime until 9 or 10 p.m. is common, and she doesn't rest on weekends. Whenever the boss calls out in the group chat, she is the first to reply "Received".

Su Xiao wanted to prove with her actions that she wasn't someone who couldn't get back up after being wronged.

However, problems inevitably arose, this time not with the work itself, but with the boss.

Mr. Ma seemed quite polite on the surface, but Su Xiao noticed something was off after only a few days.

While a female colleague was changing clothes in the restroom, Su Xiao inadvertently saw Boss Ma standing outside the door for a while, pretending to look at his phone, but his eyes kept glancing inside.

At first, Su Xiao thought she was just overthinking it, but similar things happened several more times. He would either peek at his female colleagues changing clothes or make excuses to get close to female employees, and when he spoke, his eyes would wander to places he shouldn't be looking at.

Su Xiao endured it all because she needed this job.

She told herself that as long as they didn't mess with her, everything would be fine.

But some things you can't avoid just because you want to.

That day, Su Xiao worked overtime until very late. After all her colleagues had left, she was alone in the office organizing materials.

Mr. Ma came out of his bedroom office and stood very close behind her.

Su Xiao sensed something was wrong and suddenly stood up and turned around.

Immediately, I saw a disgusting smile on Mr. Ma's face, his hand not yet fully withdrawn.

The string in Su Xiao's mind snapped.

All the grievances, anger, and resentment she had accumulated over this period of time exploded at this moment.

Without saying a word, she grabbed the folder from the table and hurled it at Mr. Ma, yelling, "You shameless bastard!"

Su Xiao hit and cursed at the same time, "Do you think I'm easy to bully? Do you think I'm easy to bully just because I was expelled?"

Mr. Ma was stunned by Su Xiao's sudden outburst. He covered his head and backed away, shouting, "Are you crazy!"

Su Xiao didn't give Boss Ma a chance to fight back. She grabbed a water glass from the table and splashed it in his face, then picked up a plastic file rack next to her and smashed it at him.

The noise was so loud that the tables and chairs were knocked over and over. The neighbors next door couldn't stand the noise and called the police.

After the police arrived, they took both of them back to the police station.

Su Xiao sat on a bench in the police station, a few strands of her hair disheveled, and her clothes still stained with the water that had just been splashed.

But her expression was surprisingly calm, even with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

After receiving the call, Wu Hongmei rushed over almost at breakneck speed.

She pushed open the door of the police station and saw Su Xiao sitting in the corner. She quickly ran over and sat down next to her, checking her over from head to toe: "Xiao Xiao, are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Su Xiao shook her head: "I'm fine, I'm the one who hit him."

Wu Hongmei breathed a sigh of relief, then asked a couple more questions. Upon learning that the boss had been spying first, she flew into a rage: "That kind of scum deserves to be beaten! Good for him!"

After giving their statements, the two stood at the entrance of the police station; it was already dark.

Wu Hongmei looked at Su Xiao, sighed and said, "Xiao Xiao, why don't you consider changing careers? You're suffering too much in this industry."

Su Xiao shook her head. "Hongmei, I'm not changing careers. I love doing this. I've studied and persevered for so many years, and I can't give up just because I've encountered a few bad people. I refuse to believe that there isn't a single clean company in this industry that would want me, Su Xiao. I'm determined to continue, and I'm going to do it to the best of my ability."

"..." Wu Hongmei looked at her, knowing that she couldn't persuade her and couldn't bear to persuade her anymore.

……

Meanwhile, another person was also paying attention to Su Xiao's situation, and that was Xia Ming, the male protagonist of "Ideal City".

Xia Ming checked and found out that Su Xiao had a hard time after being fired from Zhongjian and was hitting walls everywhere she looked for a job.

Xia Ming felt neither guilty nor comfortable.

At the accountability meeting, he was only concerned with clearing Tianke's name and did not consider the impact of this incident on Su Xiao.

The girl did nothing wrong. She didn't buy the cement, she didn't set the price. She just wrote 42.5 on her budget sheet, but the entire industry treated her as the one responsible.

Xia Ming leaned back in his chair and thought for a long time, but he didn't go to find Su Xiao because it wasn't appropriate for him to step in given the current situation.

The relationship between Tianke and Zhongjian is already delicate. If he publicly speaks up for Su Xiao, it may cause Su Xiao more trouble.

……

On the other side, Zhou Jun had just finished a dinner with his superiors, seeing them off to their cars one by one. The smile on his face vanished the moment the car door closed.

Zhou Jun stood at the hotel entrance, lit a cigarette, took two puffs, and then put it out.

Zhou Jun knew everything about Su Xiao.

He knew everything about being fired, facing setbacks in his job search, and giving a statement at the police station.

But Zhou Jun didn't call Su Xiao once, because he knew that anything he said now would be wrong.

He would never forget the look in Su Xiao's eyes. There was no hatred in them, only disappointment, and this disappointment was even more unbearable for him than hatred.

Zhou Jun threw his cigarette butt into the trash can, took out his phone, browsed through his contacts, and found the phone number of Chen Simin, the chief economist of Tiancheng Company.

Tiancheng is a subsidiary of Yinghai Group. It's not a large company, but it's a legitimate one.

Zhou Jun had interacted with Chen Simin a few times before due to work, so they had some acquaintance.

Zhou Jun sent Su Xiao's resume over and then chatted with Chen Simin on WeChat for a few minutes.

After reviewing the resume, Chen Simin replied: "Section Chief Zhou, is this Su Xiao the one who was fired by Zhongjian? Her story is all over the industry. If you ask me to use her, I'm also taking a risk!"

Zhou Jun replied, "Director Chen, you can ask anyone about her professional abilities; it's definitely worth the risk. Consider it a favor to me."

"..." Chen Simin was silent for a while, but finally relented, "Alright! I'll make the arrangements."

Thanks!

"Section Chief Zhou, you're too kind! We're good friends, after all!"

"Director Chen is right! We are all good friends."

……

A few days later, Su Xiao received a call from an unknown number.

She answered the phone, and a middle-aged man's voice came through: "Is this Ms. Su Xiao? This is Tiancheng Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., and I am Chen Simin, the chief economist. We have reviewed your resume and think you are a good candidate. We would like to invite you to the company for an interview. If it is convenient for you, could you come over at 10:00 AM tomorrow?"

Su Xiao's grip on the phone tightened slightly.

She didn't know how she got the job, but she knew it was her only chance at the moment.

Su Xiao managed to compose herself. "Okay, I'll be there at 10 a.m. tomorrow."

...(End of this chapter)