May 2, 2023, Showers, 12~24℃.

"Ring ring—ring ring—"

The alarm clock rang in the quiet little bedroom. Sun Youguang quickly sat up from the bed, grabbed his phone, and his groggy mind instantly cleared up.

"Isn't today a holiday? Why set the alarm?" his girlfriend mumbled, still half asleep, before turning over and drifting back to sleep.

Sun Youguang gave her a peck on the cheek, then quietly got out of bed, grabbed a jacket, and took his laptop to the living room. The rain pattered outside, and the living room was dark, with a chill wind making him shiver. He turned on the light and closed the window.

Sitting at the dining table, he opened his laptop and began silently reviewing accounting interview questions.

The rain came and went, and it was still dark outside.

"Whoa, you scared me! What are you doing up so early in the living room?" his roommate, who had gotten up to use the bathroom, asked.

Sun Youguang smiled sheepishly, "I had some work to finish. Li Juan is still sleeping, so I came out here."

"Work's tough these days, huh? Hang in there, Brother Sun," the roommate muttered, heading into the bathroom.

At 7:30 AM, Sun Youguang cooked a pot of jujube millet porridge and continued reviewing his interview questions. At 7:50, he closed his laptop. From the fridge, he took out two pieces of hand-grabbed pancakes, cooked them with eggs, added some fresh lettuce, and wrapped it all up with ketchup.

Entering the small bedroom, he gently called to his still-sleeping girlfriend, "Juan'er, time to eat."

She yawned, slowly opening her eyes, "Thanks, honey. I'll make you braised pork for lunch."

"Sounds great," he chuckled.

The clean dining table was set with steaming porridge and pancakes.

His girlfriend took a bite of the pancake, "Your company is really something, making you work on a holiday in the rain."

"It's an emergency."

"When will you talk to your boss about a raise?"

"Uh... I'll wait a bit longer. Now's not the right time."

"Tonight, let's go over our finances and see how much we've saved. We aim to save 150,000 yuan by the end of the year and start looking for a house."

"Okay," Sun Youguang replied, his eyes filled with worry.

Both he and his girlfriend graduated from Yan City University of Economics and Business. They worked as accountants, earning just over 4,000 yuan each. They were frugal, renting a small room far from the city center, cooking their own meals, and rarely shopping for clothes. They even took on part-time jobs when they had time. The source of thɪs content is noⅴelfire.net

What his girlfriend didn't know was that he had been laid off a few days ago and had been job hunting since. Today's interview was special, scheduled during a holiday, and it was with a newly established small company whose business had yet to begin.

The positive aspects were its 1 million yuan registered capital, decent salary and benefits, and its location in Yunxi Tower. For someone like him, who was unemployed and urgently needed a stable income, it was a valuable opportunity.

After breakfast, his girlfriend cleaned the kitchen while Sun Youguang thoroughly washed up, changed into semi-formal clothes, hugged his girlfriend goodbye, grabbed his bag and umbrella, and quickly left the house.

Battling the wind and rain, he took the bus and then the subway, arriving at Yunxi Tower after 40 minutes. The surrounding area was filled with towering buildings, embodying the vibrancy and prosperity of a modern metropolis.

He shook off his wet umbrella and accepted a bag from the property staff to store it. Entering the spacious, luxurious lobby, he couldn't help but be impressed. This was Yan City's premier office building, and it showed.

After tidying his hair and clothes, he approached the beautiful receptionist, "Hello, I'm here for an interview. Could you grant me access?"

"Sure, 3001, Songmei Fashion."

"Thank you so much!"

He took the bright, fast elevator straight to the 30th floor. As the elevator doors slowly opened, his heart raced, and he silently rehearsed his self-introduction.

Walking through the open glass doors, he saw a girl at the front desk quickly stand up and greet him warmly, "Hello, are you here for the interview?"

He handed over his resume, nervously saying, "Yes, here's my resume. Sorry for being early."

Not wanting his girlfriend to know he was unemployed, he left home at his usual time and arrived at 9:20 for a 10:00 appointment.

The girl glanced at his resume and smiled, "So you're Mr. Sun. We spoke on the phone earlier. I'm Gao Mengting. We don't have a receptionist yet, so I'm filling in. Let's go to the meeting room."

She led the way from the front desk, her appearance and demeanor radiating a sophisticated urban charm.

Sun Youguang took a deep breath, feeling a bit intimidated by her elegance. So this was the vice president of Songmei Fashion, and she was stunning.

As they walked past the chic front desk, he noticed the plush, silent carpet underfoot and took in the bright, stylish office decor. The furnishings, plants, sofas, and shelves all contributed to a welcoming, high-end workspace—the best he had ever seen. Working here would be a delight.

In the meeting room, he marveled at the luxurious setup: soft leather chairs, a long wooden table, a 70-inch TV, and various data ports. Though small, it was highly impressive.

"Knock, knock," the glass door was gently tapped, making Sun Youguang sit up straight.

Gao Mengting entered, followed by a tall, handsome man in a well-fitted suit, smiling faintly.

"This is our General Manager, Tang Song. Since you're our first interviewee, we'll both be conducting the interview," Gao Mengting introduced, placing a cup of warm water in front of him.

"Thank you."

They all sat down, and after a few pleasantries, Gao Mengting asked, "Could you start with a brief self-introduction?"

"My name is Sun Youguang. I graduated from Yan City University of Economics and Business with a degree in Accounting and have three and a half years of experience in the field..."

As he spoke, Sun Youguang placed his hands on the table, trying to appear honest and composed.

...

"How do you distinguish between period costs and product costs?"

"Period costs are expenses incurred in the course of regular business operations..."

"What does it mean to recognize impairment losses?"

...

The interview proceeded with a series of questions and answers. As the discussion entered his area of expertise, Sun Youguang gradually relaxed, his responses becoming more fluent and confident.