dognovel Chapter 85 Born at the wrong time, consumed by jealousy
Chapter 85 Born at the wrong time, consumed by jealousy
Chapter 84 Born at the wrong time, consumed by jealousy
Lin Chen was lying in the room chatting with Tang Yuwei.
This girl is becoming increasingly promiscuous; she's started sending Lin Chen all sorts of beautiful photos of herself.
Sometimes they even go so far as to post sexy photos.
She teased Lin Chen until he felt uncomfortable all over.
A moment later, my phone rang. It was a work group created by the provincial company's assessment and training command center, named "The 15th Senior Waterworker Qualification Examination Examiner Group".
The group chat was already full, so Ms. Zhou Kaiyan, the person in charge of the assessment, posted a notification in the group:
Good afternoon, examiners. Welcome to the Longcheng Training Base in XX City for this Senior Waterworker Qualification Examination. I am Zhou Kaiyan, the logistics manager for this examination. My phone number is 1233498676. Please feel free to contact me if you have any special needs. Please change the group name to include your organization and name. Thank you for your cooperation.
Soon, everyone in the group changed their information:
Zhou Minghui, Jiangzhou Company
Tan Yong, Linhai City Company
[Liu Jianjun, Qingshan City Company]
Bai Xiuzhu, Hebei City Company
Wang Haitao, BZ City Company
Lin Chen, Ningzhou County Company
Lin Chen stared at the words "special needs," a few wicked thoughts drifting uncontrollably through his mind. He clicked his tongue, cursed himself for being so filthy, and then pulled his mind back.
After everyone finished revising their information, Zhou Kaiyan posted another message: "Please attend the pre-exam briefing at 4:30 PM in the multi-functional hall on the third floor. No one may be absent. A meal will be provided afterward. Thank you for your cooperation."
After exchanging a few more words with Tang Yuwei, Lin Chen changed into a casual suit and headed to the third-floor conference hall ten minutes early.
Although it was his first time being an examiner and he lacked experience, he was well aware of the weight of this position, and even if he was just pretending, he had to put on a show of seriousness.
I arrived early; the conference room was empty except for one woman standing there. She was in her early thirties, wearing a beige dress, her long hair pulled back in a low ponytail, revealing her slender neck, giving her a clean and neat appearance. She wasn't particularly tall, but her figure was well-proportioned and toned. Her breasts weren't full, but they were shapely; her hips were round and firm. Her looks weren't stunning, but her eyes and brows exuded a capable air, with a touch of Korean-style gentleness—a truly beautiful figure.
The apartment layout is quite nice, but someone as stubborn as Lin Chen probably won't be able to fit in.
The woman looked like she had just arrived. She stood there somewhat awkwardly, her eyes scanning the various seats, clearly unsure where to sit. Seating arrangements in the company always reflected hierarchy, and first-time attendees usually didn't dare to sit randomly.
Their eyes met, and a hint of amazement flashed in her eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, probably because she was amazed by Lin Chen's appearance.
However, Lin Chen didn't greet her or make any formalities. He simply found a seat and sat down. As a guy without connections or background, he had to protect his lower body unless the enemy really forced their way in.
The woman was clearly not expecting to be ignored. She pursed her lips, but still took the initiative to walk over, her voice soft and deliberately gentle with politeness: "Hello, I'm Bai Xiuzhu from Hechuan City Company. May I ask which company you're an expert from?"
Upon hearing the name, Lin Chen was momentarily dazed, because he remembered a woman named Bai Xiuyi, but it seemed to be from a different place and she didn't look the same.
"Hello." Bai Xiuzhu said again when she saw that Lin Chen seemed stunned.
Lin Chen realized what she meant and, not expecting her to be so proactive, stood up and shook her hand. Her skin was smooth and delicate, clearly indicating that she took great care of herself: "Lin Chen from Ningzhou Suixian Company, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Lin Chen?" Bai Xiuzhu's eyes lit up. "I think I saw your name on the provincial company's list of outstanding individuals. You're so young to be an outstanding individual and even an examiner. That's impressive."
Lin Chen nodded lightly, his tone flat: "They're all empty titles, not worth mentioning, just good luck." He knew that advancement within the system depended half on actual performance and half on connections, and there was no need to use that to embellish his reputation.
Bai Xiuzhu paused for a moment, then smiled and continued, "Indeed, it's just an empty title, but it's not easy to get it. By the way, how many times have you been an examiner?"
"This is my first time. I will have to ask for your guidance in the future." Lin Chen's tone was calm, without showing any fear or trying to curry favor. He knew that he was not experienced and that it would be good to be humble, but there was no need to be so humble.
Bai Xiuzhu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and smiled, "What a coincidence, this is my first time too."
They were all first-time examiners, so they were a bit cautious and came early to wait, hoping to familiarize themselves with the situation and avoid making a fool of themselves.
Six more experts arrived in succession, all middle-aged men, all over forty years old. Their appearances were increasingly unkempt, with most of them bald, their heads so shiny they could reflect light, and most of them having protruding bellies, exuding a greasy aura from years of sitting in offices and attending banquets.
Upon seeing these people, Lin Chen subconsciously touched his hair.
It's okay for a man to be a little ugly, but once he goes bald, even the most handsome appearance will be ruined. This wicked Xinhai Company probably only counts you as "qualified" after you've been worn out and made bald and fat.
Before the assessment supervisor arrived, everyone huddled together to talk, their tone carrying the politeness typical of those within the system. They either mentioned their superiors or mutual acquaintances, quickly dredging up personal connections.
However, the most famous among them seems to be Liu Jianjun from Qingshan City Company. He is a senior expert in the provincial company, which is considered a high-level expert in the company. Several experts also gathered around him to talk.
Even among company experts, there are different levels and a performance evaluation and promotion system: junior, intermediate, senior, and finally top-level expert... It all depends on the support of seniors and the operation of relationships, so no one dares to neglect this person who can speak up in the evaluation.
"Expert Liu, it is truly an honor for me to be an examiner alongside you this time. I will need your guidance in the future."
"It's good to be an examiner for a while. It's a good way to relax. It's better than toiling away at work." Liu Jianjun put on airs, his tone full of arrogance, and his eyes and brows were full of superior pride.
"Professor Liu, I owe you a lot of gratitude for your help when I was applying for intermediate-level expert certification last year. I will always remember that kindness."
"No problem, we're all on the same side, it's only right to look out for each other." Liu Jianjun waved his hand, his smugness barely concealed, enjoying the adulation of the crowd, as if he were the boss of this assessment site.
Lin Chen stood to the side listening, unable to get a word in edgewise, and too lazy to join in the fun. Most of the time, he just forced a smile and nodded a few words in response.
He knew perfectly well that as a nobody in a county company with no background or experience, going up there would only be pointless and he'd easily be seen as someone trying to curry favor. It was better to stay put and avoid trouble.
Sitting next to Lin Chen was a middle-aged man in his forties with a protruding belly and a smile like that of Maitreya Buddha. He offered Lin Chen a cigarette and said, "Expert Lin, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Wang Haitao from Bin City Company."
"Expert Wang, I have the utmost respect for you. I don't smoke, thank you." Lin Chen raised his hand to block the view, a polite smile on his face, but inwardly he was wondering, what was this "long-standing acquaintance" from a newcomer to a county-level company?
However, since he had long admired him, Lin Chen could only treat him with respect.
After exchanging pleasantries with Lin Chen, Wang Haitao immediately turned around and approached Bai Xiuzhu, his eyes roaming over her body with undisguised scrutiny. His tone was so greasy it could drip oil: "This must be Bai Xiuzhu, the expert, right? From Qingshi Company? So young and beautiful, and she can even be an examiner. Truly, women are just as capable as men."
These words sound like praise, but they are actually full of malicious lewdness; the look in his eyes is as if he wants to see right through you.
Bai Xiuzhu smiled and nodded, her tone somewhat reserved, clearly not used to being scrutinized like this: "Expert Wang, you flatter me. This is my first time being an examiner, and I don't have much experience. Please take care of me in the future."
Wang Haitao immediately chimed in, his lewd teasing barely concealed, and he even raised his voice deliberately, as if afraid others wouldn't hear: "I didn't expect that Expert Bai's first time would be given to us, good for you."
The other experts also gathered around and chimed in with their own jokes.
"Everyone has a first time, it doesn't hurt."
"Just relax."
"I've seen how amazing Bai is. He was in the top five in the last company skills competition. Don't underestimate him."
"Really? I'd also like to see how amazing Expert Bai is."
Bai Xiuzhu's face flushed red, and she pursed her lips without saying anything more.
At Xinhai Company, women are always passive, even if you are an expert. Most people will think that you were promoted by someone else. If you are teased and you refute it, you will seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill.
If word gets out, people will say I'm "naive" or "can't take a joke," which is a losing proposition.
Seeing that she seemed a little embarrassed, Lin Chen said, "Experts, this is my first time as well, please bear with me."
Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, everyone's conversation turned to Lin Chen. However, they weren't interested in men and the topic was quickly dropped.
Bai Xiuzhu seemed to understand Lin Chen's good intentions, and glanced over with a hint of gratitude.
About ten minutes later, Zhou Kaiyan, the person in charge of the assessment, came in carrying some documents. She was wearing glasses and looked quite serious. As soon as she arrived, she started taking attendance.
After calling out names, she went through the motions, announcing the examiners' rules: no contact with candidates, no favoritism, and the need to ensure fairness and impartiality, etc., but hardly anyone listened.
After she finished reading the evaluation rules, she handed each examiner an envelope with their name on it. Lin Chen didn't know what it meant.
After Zhou Kaiyan and everyone else received the envelopes, she said, "To ensure the fairness and impartiality of this evaluation process, this exam will be conducted in a completely closed and isolated manner. The activity range of all examiners is limited to this hotel and the evaluation and training base. If you need to go out, you must report it and obtain the consent of Director Liu of the Provincial Company Training Center. Also, this mobile phone will be confiscated and kept safe for you throughout the entire process. You are not allowed to take it back. Now you have two minutes to report to your family or leaders and tell them not to worry. After two minutes, please put your mobile phone in this envelope and hand it in. The timer will start now."
Lin Chen had heard that examiners were not allowed to bring cell phones, but he thought it only applied to daytime working hours. It seemed that cell phones couldn't be used at night either. That was a good rule. Without any hesitation, Lin Chen immediately sent a message to his parents and Yuwei, and also updated his status: "On a business trip, my cell phone will be off for a week. Please leave a message if you need anything."
After Lin Chen finished posting, he looked around and realized that, apart from Bai Xiuzhu, everyone else had already put their phones in envelopes and handed them over as if they had no family or friends.
After collecting the phones, Zhou Kaiyan handed out a confidentiality agreement to everyone: "Next, please take a good look at this confidentiality agreement. It outlines the examiner's requirements. If there are no problems, please sign your names."
The others remained calm and collected, quickly writing their names without even looking. Lin Chen, not wanting to waste anyone's time, also signed his name without even looking.
After completing these miscellaneous steps, the next step is to select the group leader, which means choosing a leader from among the eight examiners. The group leader has a lot of responsibility.
It is necessary to coordinate the progress of the entire evaluation process, and of course, to organize everyone's wake-up and meals every day. The team leader also has a great deal of power, which is to question or even modify the scores of a candidate.
This seemed to be a foregone conclusion; everyone tacitly turned their attention to Liu Jianjun of the Qingshan City Company. In this world, people speak with their backsides.
"Without a doubt, the team leader should be none other than you, the great expert Liu."
Liu Jianjun initially refused firmly: "No, absolutely not. How can you expect an old man like me to do this? I'm really not up to the task."
"Expert Liu, if you don't step down, this work can't proceed."
"I'm really not up to it anymore. My body isn't what it used to be, and my spiritual power can't keep up. How about letting a few of the younger ones take over?" Liu Jianjun looked at Lin Chen and Bai Xiuzhu.
Bai Xiuzhu waved her hands frantically, as if she were terrified.
"These young people have no experience; they'll just make a mess of things. Only expert Liu can handle this." This BZ
Wang Haitao from the municipal company was quite worried that a young man would become the team leader.
"Yes, Professor Liu has been an examiner for over ten years and has mentored countless experts."
"When we took the expert exam, the textbooks were all written by the great expert Liu, and I still keep them."
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"Oh, you're really too kind of me. Well, I'll reluctantly take on the role this time. If I don't do a good job, please feel free to point out any mistakes or criticisms."
"Expert Liu, you're too kind."
Thus, amidst the flattery and praise of everyone, Liu Jianjun reluctantly became the head of the examiner group, fully demonstrating the company's excellent style of being humble, rigorous, and capable.
Honestly, when Lin Chen saw how timid he was just now, he wanted to yell at him, "If you don't want to be me, then be me!"
However, Lin Chen knew that it would be futile to say anything. The other person was just making a token gesture, so he shouldn't take it seriously. If he did, he would really be losing sight of himself.
After electing the group leader, everyone went downstairs to eat. It wasn't a buffet, but a set meal. As soon as everyone sat down, the dishes came out in a rush. There were more than a dozen dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, and meat, which was quite comprehensive, but there was no seafood.
Although the dishes were all pre-prepared, Lin Chen still thought they were quite delicious and the taste was just right. At least he enjoyed them. However, Liu Jianjun, the team leader and expert, had some complaints.
"The treatment of this examiner is getting worse and worse, and the food is terrible. I really need to think carefully about whether I should come back to be an examiner next time."
Zhou Minghui from Jiangzhou Company chimed in, "That's right. I also participated in the performance evaluation last year. We had a seafood buffet with all kinds of fresh seafood. The shrimp were as thick as my arm, and the abalone were as big as my palm. It just goes to show that the company is paying less and less attention to performance evaluation these days."
Wang Haitao from BZ City Company also chimed in: "I heard someone complained that our examiners were extravagant, so we reduced the meal expenses this year. You see, our accommodation this time was the same; we stayed in a fake hotel to avoid scrutiny."
Zhou Minghui from Jiangzhou Company: "These people are out of their minds. How can we carry out our work if we don't eat and stay well? Do they really think we're here for a vacation?"
Tan Yong from Linhai City Company: "Exactly, and this time it's outrageous. They actually made us eat pre-made junk food. They don't treat us examiners like human beings at all."
Lin Chen didn't know why he said that, because he ate quite a lot, and the bone plate had been changed several times.
Liu Jianjun sighed, "Things are different now. The company strictly controls performance evaluation expenses and has started to limit our reimbursement amounts. Just a few years ago, when we went out for performance evaluations, we stayed in five-star hot spring resort hotels, and there were beautiful women singing and drinking with us at night."
After he finished speaking, he raised his head and looked at the ceiling, as if recalling those absurd years, and regretfully drooled involuntarily from the corner of his mouth.
Holy crap, Lin Chen was incredibly envious when he heard this!
Damn, so the pay for being an examiner used to be this good? I was born at the wrong time. Now that I, Lin Chen, am an examiner, they've started controlling spending.
Is this specifically targeting me?
Lin Chen didn't just want to live a life of luxury; he just wanted to experience it.
Zhou Minghui from Jiangzhou Company revealed a smug expression: "I was lucky enough to participate in one of these before, it was so much fun! The best part was that I could even write up a business trip invoice and get reimbursed by the finance department when I got back. It was absolutely awesome."
Upon hearing this, Wang Haitao of BZ City Company immediately revealed a look of longing: "Damn, you guys are really enjoying yourselves, actually using public funds to hire prostitutes."
Zhou Minghui laughed heartily, becoming increasingly smug: "Expert Wang, you don't understand. It's only when you use public funds that you truly enjoy yourself. If you have to pay out of your own pocket, it's a huge financial drain, and you won't feel like enjoying it at all."
Team leader Liu Jianjun added, "That's right, they paid for it themselves, and those few tremblings were heartbreaking."
Hahaha, everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing this, as if they had reached a consensus on the matter, and the whole dinner table was filled with cheerful laughter.
Of course, Lin Chen disagreed. After all, he himself spent at least two hours on the table, and their words were too explicit, completely ignoring the fact that there was a female expert, Bai Xiuzhu, at the table.
When Bai Xiuzhu heard this topic, she could only keep drinking tea to cover up her embarrassment. Even so, when she heard the sensitive word "shudder a few times," her face still turned red.
The dinner table remained lively, but fortunately, the examiner strictly prohibited drinking alcohol, and the hotel did not provide any alcoholic beverages, otherwise Lin Chen would have found it unbearable to watch tonight.
Suddenly, a crisp telephone ring broke the harmony at the dinner table, and everyone's eyes turned to Tan Yong, the man from the Linhai City company.
Logically, since all cell phones should have been confiscated, why does he still have a cell phone?
Tan Yong felt a little guilty seeing everyone looking at him. He hesitated for a long time with his hands in his pockets, but didn't accept the money.
Team leader Liu Jianjun then kindly remarked, "Relax, just answer it. We're all in the same boat. These days, who doesn't have another phone on them, right? We need to handle our work too."
After saying this, Liu Jianjun took out his own phone, opened it, looked at it for a while, and replied to several important messages.
"Yeah, they say you don't have to worry about work when you're on a business trip, but who can really stay out of it?"
The other experts, seeing this, all smiled knowingly and took out a mobile phone from various private parts of their bodies, and then began to play with it without restraint.
When Lin Chen saw this, he couldn't help but curse himself inwardly for being so stupid. He hadn't expected this to happen. He was too inexperienced on his first try. He should have thought of it earlier. How could they not have had their phones for so many days?
Fortunately, Lin Chen wasn't the only one without a phone; Bai Xiuzhu was in the same boat, looking at everyone helplessly, which made Lin Chen seem less foolish.
"Neither of you brought your phones? You can't be that naive, can you?" Team leader Liu Jianjun was quite nice; even while playing on his phone, he couldn't resist teasing the young men.
Lin Chen didn't answer his question. Being an examiner means you can't bring a cell phone. You can't take breaking the rules for granted, but that's what he seems to think.
Bai Xiuzhu must have been very regretful: "This is my first time being an examiner, and I didn't expect I didn't know these things."
Tan Yong from Linhai City Company: "That's how it is for everyone. I didn't bring one the first time either. But it really is a bit boring not having a phone. You can't go out for entertainment, so you can only watch TV or something."
Wang Haitao from BZ City Company chuckled lewdly, "Hey beautiful expert, I have a spare phone here. How about I lend it to you? But it doesn't have a SIM card, so you can only browse the internet and watch videos."
After saying that, he pulled out another old Apple phone from his crotch and handed it over. He was so kind.
Holy crap, this works? Your family must be in the mobile phone wholesale business.
Bai Xiuzhu was also dumbfounded, but quickly waved her hand to refuse: "Never mind, thank you for your kindness, but I'm usually alone anyway, so it's not a big problem for me not to use my phone for a few days."
Lin Chen wanted to say, "If you don't want it, give it to me. Watching a movie is fine too."
Zhou Minghui immediately caught a key point: "Wow, this is so comfortable. It seems our expert Bai is still single. People with families can't be this carefree."
Bai Xiuzhu didn't answer, seemingly because something unpleasant had been said, and she simply lowered her head and drank her tea.
Liu Jianjun then lectured, "Actually, you two should have told us earlier that you only had one phone. There are still many ways to deal with it. For example, I once only brought one phone with me, and then I had a sudden inspiration and just picked up a brick from the grass behind the envelope and put it in the envelope. It was fine."
Zhou Minghui laughed: "Hahaha, you're amazing, Expert Liu! I don't actually have two phones, but I put my son's toy phone in this time."
"Smart, I also put in a broken old phone."
Holy crap, this is getting more and more outrageous.
But Lin Chen clearly saw Zhou Kaiyan, the person in charge of the evaluation, open the envelope and check it.
Why doesn't she say?
Okay, damn it, I get it, I get it.
They've probably gotten used to it by now.
Collecting cell phones is part of their work process. As for whether or not you hand them in, or what kind of cell phone you hand in, they don't care, and they can't care. Anyway, if something goes wrong, you examiners are responsible for it yourselves.
Seeing Lin Chen and Bai Xiuzhu's bewildered expressions, Liu Jianjun thoughtfully advised, "Neither of you has a cell phone, so it'll be hard to contact each other. You also probably don't have alarm clocks, so try to stay together and look out for each other. Don't oversleep or get lost, or you'll miss the evaluation process."
"Expert Lin, what's your sense of time like?" That makes sense. Bai Xiuzhu was really afraid of oversleeping. She looked up at Lin Chen with a longing expression, thinking, "Why don't we just live together?"
"My biological clock is very strong, I'll wake you up when the time comes." Lin Chen generally has a strong sense of time, and even without this alarm clock, he wouldn't be late.
"Okay, which floor and room do you want to stay in?"
So the two of them exchanged room numbers.
Surprisingly, the two rooms, 508 and 507, are right across from each other.
Bai Xiuzhu also looked at Lin Chen in disbelief, her eyelashes and breasts trembling slightly, her eyes conveying an indescribable feeling.
Women are creatures who believe first in money and second in fate.
Lin Chen was also surprised, feeling that there was something fishy about this.
This apartment layout might be habitable.
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