Brick by Brick (Bxb)

Chapter 22: The Interview Is Over

The rotary vanes creaked pitifully as they moved, occasionally jerking with such force that it wouldn't be surprising if they broke off from the shaft altogether. 

It still did a good job at circulating warm air through the room, if one didn't mind the periodic loud snaps coming from it every thirty seconds or so. 

The state of the room on the other hand, was appalling to say the least. With the exception of a well-ironed shirt and dark brown business trousers, the rest of the bed was littered with crumpled shirts, thrown aside after one wear.

Ming Kai looked once more into the mirror, contemplating another white shirt in hand, and after some deep thought, decided to settle for the one already on the bed. 

It wasn't often that he would be so finicky about such things, but this interview was one he didn't want to mess up. He looked over at his desk, at the computer screen, unable to believe the stroke of good fortune that befell him.

*************

Dear applicant,

We are pleased to inform you that you have passed the preliminary selection. You are required to visit the office for an official interview. Please bring along all relevant documents.

*************

Among the various companies Ming Kai sent his application to, not many offered the opportunity for an interview. The Asian market was currently on the mend after the fiscal crisis in mainland China. Seeing how companies are unwilling to hire even someone of his awesome calibre was really depressing. 

For his final year attachment, Ming Kai was willing to settle for a company of lesser renown, hoping that the work experience gained there would prove useful as a springboard to better companies after he graduated. 

Little did he imagine that Freiheit Conglomerate; one of the few confederations holding the greatest prestige in Asia and Europe, would grace his that precious opportunity.

It was notoriously well-known as the "Elite Garden" among the universities. Freiheit Conglomerate brings in only the brightest minds in every batch of fresh graduates and grooms them to be the next generation of leaders, sending them out to further expand their already vast empire of services and industries.

The morning rush hour did little to dampen his spirits. 

It didn't take long for Ming Kai to reach the city complex. He promptly navigated his way through the jungle of high rise buildings with aid of his GPS.

He eventually arrived at the base of the building. The monumental concrete and glass structure stretched impressively toward the sky, the majesty of it was overwhelming.

On the main entrance were to words.

Freiheit Conglomerate

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"Please be seated. The manager will be arriving shortly." 

A lady from the human resource department gestured to two chairs in the room. Her voice had a nice timbre, as if years of deliberate practice had given it a soothing effect, all for the purpose of easing the hearts of those who sat nervously in this room.

Ming Kai smiled and sat himself down on the chair further away from the door.

Not long later, the door creaked open to reveal another lady, wearing an immaculate all-grey business cardigan and a matching grey skirt, just slightly longer than the length of her thighs. 

It wasn't difficult to identify someone in authority. She was definitely someone of authority. Ming Kai immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.

"You must be Ming Kai," the lady stated with a warm smile and extended her hand.

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

"The interview is over."

Huh?

The remark came as a complete shock to Ming Kai. He stood at the doorway with his mouth half agape. He wasn't sure if he heard that correctly, or did it mean that he had failed the interview before it even started?

"E...excuse me?" He muttered in disbelief.

The lady still wore the same unchanging expression, then opened her mouth and coolly reiterated every word. "The. Interview. Is. Over."

"Follow me."

Ming Kai's face became extremely ugly. Not only did they make him come all the way down, but they didn't even give him a chance at the interview. 

As someone at the top of his cohort, he wasn't willing to accept this humiliation in silence.

"Have I not made the mark?" He questioned.

The lady did not slow down and led him down the hallway to a series of work cubicles, then turned around and crossed her arms.

"Why do you think that you made the mark?" Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, seemingly curious as to what sort of response Ming Kai would give.

"Because this company wouldn't do something as silly and time wasting as calling down interviewees who passed the first round of the selection process, just to tell them they failed."

"I spoke to some of the people waiting in the lobby with me earlier, and those were the ones who already passed the first round of interviews. Yet strangely, only a few of us were allowed to stay while the remainder were told to leave the premises."

"Afterwards, I, along with the same few others were called up separately to where we were told our final interview would take place." Ming Kai explained.

He wasn't sure if he was entirely correct, but he was sure there was more to this interview session than it seemed.

"This at least indicated that the management had some way of observing the applicants in the lobby and further shortlisted us from there. In other words, those who remained are the most likely candidates to have passed the test."

"Have I really not made the mark?"

The lady in grey said nothing as she listened from beginning to the end, but it was clear from the looks on her face that whatever Ming Kai said surprised her more than she would like to admit. 

Slowly, a smile spread across her face, as a teacher would when her student correctly guessed the answer to a difficult question.

"Splendid!"

"It is as you say. We were indeed observing you incognito, watching how each applicant interacted with the others and how people behaved when they thought no one was taking notice."

"Those whom we sent packing lacked the spirit of networking that we need in this department."

"However, all those were simply prerequisites. Your final interview determined whether or not you'll be accepted." She explained in detail.

Ming Kai frowned, looking every bit confused.

"If I had passed the initial requirements, why was I refused the final interview?" He still did not understand the reason behind her actions and what she said about the interview being over before it even started.

The lady paused for a moment, then gave him an enigmatic smile.

"Because you didn't need it," she said. "Though if you didn't pop the question, I might have sent you to the exit instead."

"Let me redo our introductions, the name's Choi Mei Lin. Welcome to Freiheit Conglomerate! This here will be your cubicle for the next six months." She pointed to the empty work cubicle that they were currently standing outside of.

Ming Kai was stunned beyond words. Unsure of what to expect, yet overwhelmed with relief, he bowed in appreciation once more and let Choi Mei Lin drag him around the department to be introduced.

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End of Chapter