Then let the witch offer her loyalty

Do you think that because you've made contributions, your promotion is a sure thing?

What a beautiful thought.

Society is not like the ivory tower of a university.

In society, connections are far more important than ability.

If you don't understand this principle, you'll only be a beast of burden for the rest of your life.

At this point, the examiner took out the information of the three people one by one from the file folder.

When he took out the third document, he gave Chen Moxin a meaningful look.

He then turned the document over and placed it on the table along with the other two.

The examiner cleared his throat and said in a very formal tone, "Hello, welcome to this year's probation assessment. We are the examiners for this interview."

"Next, we will address you according to the numbers in front of you. This interview will be conducted in a structured format..."

The examiner gave the three a brief explanation of the rules.

In general, the examiners ask questions, the candidates answer, the examiners score the candidates based on their answers, and finally the scores are tallied and ranked according to the total score.

This is a very standard interview method, but it has a hidden drawback compared to written tests: it is highly subjective.

The written test has standard answers; right is right, and wrong is wrong.

The interviews are different.

The same question and the same answer might be brilliant in the eyes of examiner A, but utterly nonsensical in the eyes of examiner B, so the outcome can vary greatly.

The examiner looked at the three candidates and quickly posed the first question: "Let's begin. We all know that whether in a government agency like the Administration Bureau or in a private company, there is a distinction between superiors and subordinates, and it is inevitable for subordinates to deal with their superiors."

"But sometimes, accidents are hard to avoid."

"Imagine you receive a notice from the bureau that five leaders will be attending a meeting today, and you are asked to receive them. You have arranged the reception room and prepared five cups of tea."

"But when the other party arrives, you realize that there are a total of 6 leaders, and an extra leader has come out at the last minute. At this time, there are only 5 cups of tea prepared, and it is too late to brew more."

How would you handle this situation?

"Number 1, what's your answer?"

Gui Nan scratched the back of his head and muttered, "As for me... I will explain the situation to the leaders truthfully, apologize to them, and ask for their forgiveness."

Wu Xuan sneered inwardly after hearing this.

Dude, are you kidding me?

This is a fairly common situational question, and similar ones can be found in past years' interview question banks.

Whether in the public sector or a private company, problem-solving is the top priority in the workplace.

Subordinates are there to solve problems for their leaders.

Five cups of water and six leaders—this is entirely a matter of distribution among subordinates, and has nothing to do with the leaders.

A truthful explanation? An apology?

Can explanations and apologies solve the problem?

What's the use of being sincere if you can't even solve the problem?

Judging from the expressions on the faces of the two examiners, they were also dissatisfied with this answer and did not even want to comment on Guinan's response.

"Number 2, what's your answer?"

Although Wu Xuan got in through connections, he has been studying hard lately just to be on the safe side, and he already has a solution to this problem.

"If it were me, I would remove all the tea and not serve a single cup."

"First of all, tea is not a necessary item for meetings, and the absence of tea will not affect the normal progress of the meeting."

"Secondly, fairness is very important in the workplace. Either everyone gets it, or no one gets it. There should be no favoritism."

"So it's better for all the leaders to have no tea than for some to have it and some not to."

"Finally, I will reflect on the incident afterward to understand why such a mistake occurred, summarize and learn from the experience, be willing to take responsibility, and draw inferences from one instance to prevent similar situations from happening again in the future."

His pronunciation was strong and clear, and his sentences flowed smoothly. Wu Xuan felt like he was being impressed by his own handsomeness.

If this were a dating show on TV, he believed both judges would turn on their lights and shout to him, "I love you!"

However, reality disappointed Wu Xuan.

The examiner, upon hearing the textbook-like answer, showed no reaction, simply nodding and saying, "Hmm."

Wu Xuan was stunned.

Ok?

That's it?

"Number 3, please explain your answer." The examiner suddenly looked at Chen Moxin with a smile.

Chen Moxin casually replied, "Just bring up five cups of tea, remove a chair, and then tell the leaders—one of you told me to do this."

In the viewing room on the other side of the glass, Luo Shoucheng frowned as he listened.

What the hell?

It's just a cup of tea, why are you trying to sow discord?

Inside the interview room, both the chief and deputy interviewers looked completely bewildered, clearly having never heard such an answer before.

The deputy examiner said in a deep voice, "Number 3, your handling of this is definitely wrong. What was originally a small problem has been blown out of proportion by you."

Wu Xuan was practically laughing to death inside.

I'm so lucky. Of the two people interviewing at the same time, one was a complete idiot and the other was mentally challenged.

He had already adopted a spectator's mentality, ready to see how the examiner would reprimand Chen Moxin.

"However!" the examiner suddenly interjected, his face full of encouragement and affirmation.

"I think number 3's answer is... incredibly innovative! As public servants of the Empire, we should always come up with new ideas, master new methods, and take new measures to firmly grasp the direction of development in the new era."

"Although No. 3's answer is rather rare, it perfectly reflects the new spirit of the younger generation, which I think is very encouraging!"

Wu Xuan was stunned after hearing this.

I answered so perfectly, and all I got was a simple "hmm".

Chen Moxin's answer was a complete mess, yet she still managed to praise him in various ways?

What does this mean?

The examiner cleared his throat and changed the subject, saying, "Now, let's move on to the second question."

“In our daily lives, we encounter various work and family problems, and sometimes the two are difficult to reconcile.”

"Imagine if an elder in your family passes away, and you are on your way home for the funeral, when your boss suddenly calls and says there is an emergency at work and you are required to return immediately to work overtime."

How would you cope with the difficult choice between work and family?

"Number 1, tell us your answer."

This is a very tricky question.

Because no matter how you answer, it can be right or wrong.

When choosing a family, the interviewer might say that filial piety is the most important virtue, or they might say that you lack a sense of responsibility at work.

When choosing a job, the interviewer can say you are dedicated, or they can say you are unfilial and unfit for important tasks.

Guinan was clearly aware of this as well, and appeared very conflicted.

After much thought, he decided that since it was a company interview, he should say things that the company would like to hear.

“I will come back to work immediately. My family can handle the funeral arrangements themselves. I will go back to visit the grave when I am less busy with work.”

The examiner gave him a cold glance.

He didn't care what the other examiners thought; in his view, the answer to this question was a foregone conclusion.

How can you expect someone who can't even care about their elders' funerals to be dedicated to their work?

This number 1 is just saying nice things.

Even when you try to outsmart someone, you can't get it right.

"Number 2, what's your answer?"

Wu Xuan slowly said, "As for me, first, I will communicate with the leader by phone to see if those urgent matters can be resolved remotely."

"If possible, I will use any free time during the funeral to remotely connect with my work computer to expedite the work until the matter is resolved."

“If work cannot be done remotely and I have to be there in person, I will explain the reasons to my family and try to gain their understanding before returning to work. If conditions permit, I can attend the funeral remotely to send my elders off on their final journey.”

This answer is very clever, not only breaking out of the limitations of the original question, but also boldly proposing a win-win solution such as "remote work" and "remote funeral".

Furthermore, in his subsequent response, Wu Xuan still subtly indicated that he would prioritize his work.

This is probably the kind of thing leaders like to hear most.

Faced with such a near-standard answer, the examiner's reaction was...

"Oh."

"Number 3, please explain your answer."

The answer I racked my brains to come up with only earned me an "oh".

Wu Xuan felt his teeth itch, but he didn't dare to say anything. He could only glare angrily at Chen Moxin.

Chen Moxin sneered: "If the boss won't let me attend the funeral, then I can only send him off to meet his deceased elders."

In the viewing room on the other side of the glass, everyone's eyes were drawn to Luo Shoucheng.

Luo Shoucheng said innocently, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not that kind of stupid leader..."

After saying that, he thought to himself: What is this kid doing? What kind of nonsense is he giving?

Upon hearing Chen Moxin's answer, the assistant examiner immediately straightened his face and said seriously, "Any conflict should be resolved through proper communication. It's definitely wrong to resort to violence as soon as a problem arises."

"But then again!" the examiner interrupted.

"I don't think it's necessary to give face to a leader who is so cold and unreasonable."

"Number 3's response reflects... well... the spirit of the rule of law—not being afraid of powerful figures and daring to fight for one's legal rights. This is precisely what many people lack today, and it is highly commendable!"

A team leader leaned close to Luo Shoucheng and whispered in his ear, "Does this Xiao Chen in your team have someone backing him?"

Luo Shoucheng rubbed his chin, thinking: No way, I've never heard of any connection between Chen Moxin and me...

He subconsciously glanced at Luo Lingyou beside him.

She was staring intently at Chen Moxin, so engrossed that she didn't notice Luo Shoucheng looking at her.

In the interview room, the examiner posed a third question: "You've all been working in the bureau for a while now, some longer, some shorter. Why don't you all tell me about the most memorable thing that happened to you during your time here?"

"Number 1, you go first."

Compared to the previous two scenario simulations, this question has a more open-ended approach and is easier to answer.

Guinan thought for a moment and said truthfully, "What impressed me most was the treatment. The working environment here is very good, and the benefits are also high. I am very happy working here!"

Both examiners felt a surge of disgust upon hearing this.

Their intention was to use a relatively easy question to alleviate the pressure of the first two situational simulation questions and give the interviewee time to adjust their mindset.

How did Number 1 manage to precisely avoid such a simple question?

Good pay? High benefits?

That's true.

But the truth isn't something you can show off.

Outsiders can say what's going on, the officials in charge can say what's going on, and the leaders can say what's going on.

You're the only one who hasn't been officially hired yet, so I can't say that.

What impressed you most about the benefits and perks? Is that why you came here?

Do your spirit of sacrifice, dedication, sense of honor, and sense of mission all come after welfare benefits?

If you were given a permanent position, would you just sit back and relax with your secure job?