C18 Recruitment

After some consideration, Zhang Yang decided to search for a place on his own.

Ding! You have redeemed 100,000 red packets x10, deducting 1,000 Achievement Points.

He winced as he watched his Achievement Points drop by 1,000 in an instant, but then his spirits lifted as he checked his account balance, now at 1,000,000. With money in hand, he felt a newfound sense of confidence in handling affairs.

"Mr. Zhang, take a look at our floor. It's filled with small business offices, perfectly matching your requirements. The surrounding environment is pleasant, all the necessary amenities are available, and the rent is quite affordable—just 100,000 yuan per year."

After touring the premises, Zhang Yang decided to rent an office. His company was still in its infancy, funds were tight, and he had to keep things simple.

The office was spacious, over 100 square meters, with well-arranged partitions. Once the cleaning service had finished, Zhang Yang and Sunn Pang moved in.

After a day's hard work setting up several computers, Zhang Yang intended to hire just a financial officer for the time being. Nothing else was pressing at the moment, as he had only one main product. With expected revenue next month, he would soon need someone to oversee the finances.

Clear Water City was too small to attract top-tier talent, so Zhang Yang decided to place an ad on Excellent.

Lee Shengfeng, a returnee from abroad, had worked hard for five years to become the financial director of a multinational company. While checking his phone at work, an ad popped up unexpectedly.

Dingyang Technology Company is now hiring financial staff nationwide. Applicants with experience are preferred. Interested candidates, please send your resumes to the email below.

"Which company is this? Advertising online for a financial position seems like overkill. Dingyang? Never heard of them."

Lee Shengfeng was about to close the ad when he realized it was published by Excellent, the hottest app in China, a staple for Android users. This was the first time he'd seen it advertise.

Intrigued, Lee Shengfeng knew that Excellent, known for its pride and ad-free, charge-free service, was immensely useful. Dingyang Technology must be special to secure an ad space with Excellent, a feat many companies sought but couldn't achieve.

Suddenly, Lee Shengfeng's gaze sharpened as he looked at the details of the Excellent Software. To his surprise, the developer listed was Dingtian Technology.

Lee Shengfeng's heart began to race. He had hit a ceiling at his current company; no matter how well he performed, he felt he would remain stuck in the same position for life.

At just over thirty, he was still in the prime of his career. His current company seemed more suited for those nearing retirement, but Dingtian Technology was different. The Excellent app had been online for several days without any comparable competitors, indicating a significant technological advantage.

Monetizing such an app was straightforward, and even without immediate profits, an IPO could easily value it in the billions. Joining Dingtian Technology now would make him a key player in its success. With stock options and Dingtian's current trajectory, his future prospects looked incredibly promising.

Acting on his thoughts, Lee Shengfeng didn't hesitate to send out his resume, his anxiety reminiscent of the nerves he felt when applying for his first job after graduation.

The entire country was abuzz. Dingtian Technology was the talk of the town, and countless companies were eager to discuss partnerships. However, the registration information suggested it was a shell company, making contact impossible.

Despite this, Dingtian Technology's public recruitment, even with just an email address, didn't deter those seeking collaboration, particularly venture capital firms. The Excellent app was poised for success, and investing now could yield returns many times over within a year.

At Tengxiang Company's headquarters, Ma Hua Dong scrutinized the Excellent app's advertisements and barked orders at his team, "Find someone from Dingtian Technology at any cost. I must meet with them."

In Qiandi Li Yan Hong's office, the frustration was palpable. "Incompetents, you're all incompetents! How many days has it been? You can't even reverse engineer an app. What good are you to me?"

A programmer cautiously addressed the CEO, "Mr. Lee, this app is built on a completely new language. We need to decode it before we can attempt reverse engineering. I must be frank; it's a monumental task. Without formal instruction in this language, it could take us over a year to figure it out."

Li Yanhong stared blankly at his subordinates, his frustration evident. As a programmer himself, he understood the situation all too well; his anger had simply gotten the better of him.

"Mr. Li, Mr. Li, I have some big news, some great news!" his vice president burst in, brimming with excitement.

Li Yanhong gave him a nonchalant look and asked, "What news? Have you located someone from Dingyang?"

"Well, not exactly, but if you take a look at Excellent, you'll see what I mean." The vice president was somewhat sheepish. They'd been on the hunt for Dingyang Technology for days without a single lead. Now that they had something, it seemed Mr. Li was still not impressed.

Disappointed, Li Yanhong opened Excellent and the sole advertisement there caught his eye, sparking a glimmer of hope. "Quickly gather all the information you can on this email address, and send them a message. I'm determined to meet with the people from Dingyang."

This scenario was playing out across the tech industry. A massive upheaval was underway with the introduction of a new coding language, more advanced than C language or CFA++. It was a game-changer, and no company in the computer industry wanted to miss out on what could be the dawn of a new era.

Venture capital firms were offering exorbitant sums for the whereabouts of Dingyang Technology and Zhang Yang's contact details.

Zhang Yang's phone was set to do-not-disturb, making him unreachable to unknown callers. He was blissfully unaware of the chaos he had sparked in the outside world. His inbox was quickly overflowing.

Overwhelmed by the deluge of emails, mostly from internet companies seeking partnerships or wishing to invest, Zhang Yang sifted through the few applications for employment. One candidate stood out: Lee Shengfeng.

Having worked at a multinational for five years and risen to the position of Finance Director, Lee Shengfeng clearly had the credentials. Zhang Yang was wary, suspecting that this might be another investor in disguise, so he decided to make a confirmation call.

"Hello, is this Mr. Lee Shengfeng?"

"Yes, speaking. Who is this?"

"I'm with Dingyang Technology. I've reviewed your resume and I'm curious, why are you interested in joining our modest company? Your resume states you're a Finance Director at a multinational. Please don't take this the wrong way, but we're quite small in comparison. We can't really compete with such a company." Zhang Yang aimed to gauge Lee Shengfeng's true intentions.

Lee Shengfeng was somewhat excited. He had submitted his resume on a whim, not expecting much. But now, the company had called back, expressing significant interest. It all hinged on whether his response would impress them.

"I have a lot of respect for your company," he explained. "If I stay with my current employer, I might just end up as a high-level employee for the rest of my career. However, joining your company, I believe, offers a much brighter future."

Zhang Yang took a moment to consider after hearing this. Meanwhile, Lee Shengfeng was on edge. After a tense few seconds, he finally felt a wave of relief.

"Congratulations, Mr. Lee. You've been granted an interview opportunity. If you're available, please make your way to Clear Water City at your earliest convenience for the interview," Zhang Yang said.

Despite the good news, Zhang Yang wanted to conduct an interview in person, knowing that a phone call and a resume only reveal so much.

Once the initial rush of excitement subsided, Lee Shengfeng began to think more clearly. It was just an interview opportunity, after all. What was his next move? Should he request time off for the interview, or should he resign entirely?

If he resigned and didn't pass the interview, he'd be out of a job. If he took leave and word got out, it could tarnish his reputation.

After much deliberation, Lee Shengfeng made a bold decision. He chose to resign, not leaving himself a safety net. If things didn't work out with Dingyang Technology, he reasoned, he could always start fresh somewhere else. After all, youth was on his side.

"Jingjing, I've resigned," Lee Shengfeng announced as he handed in his resignation letter and confidently walked out of what felt like a prison. The first thing he did was call his fiancée to fill her in.

"That's great! Now we can travel every day," Han Jingjing teased.

"I'm serious. I'm free now. You'll support me, right?" Lee Shengfeng asked earnestly over the phone.

"You're serious? Have you secured another job? We've just finished paying the down payment on our house, and it's not even furnished yet. How can we get married if you're out of work?"

Hearing the concern in his girlfriend's voice, Lee Shengfeng steeled himself and declared, "I'm heading to Clear Water City for an interview. If it goes well, I'll be working there. If not, I'll come back and find another job."

"Have you lost your mind? What's in Clear Water City? It's a third-tier small town; what kind of decent job could you possibly find there? Where are you right now? Stay put, I'm coming to find you."

"Okay, I have to board my flight now. Wait for my update." Lee Shengfeng ended the call, switched off his phone, and braced himself for a do-or-die situation. He had cornered himself with no way out.

Zhang Yang paid no attention to the outside chaos. His inbox was flooded with dozens of emails requesting meetings, which he simply ignored. Investment? That was laughable. He wasn't short on cash at all. By next month, he'd have a continuous influx of money.

Using their money now meant he'd have to repay it a hundredfold, if not a thousandfold, later on. Zhang Yang was crystal clear on this—he would not accept any investments.

Lee Shengfeng was quick to act. He made the call in the morning, and by the next day, he had already resigned and made his way to Clear Water City.

Climbing the stairs, Lee Shengfeng couldn't shake the feeling that he might have been duped. The building was filled with noise from various companies, some chasing down online loans, others busy with customer service. It wasn't until he reached a secluded corner at the end of the hallway that he spotted a door with a paper sign reading "Dingtian Technology."

Lee Shengfeng was having second thoughts about his rash decision. The place screamed 'scam,' but he was sure he hadn't applied to the wrong company. Since he was already there, he decided to go in and see for himself.

Inside were just a few computers and two young guys furiously typing away.

"Hello, I'm looking for Director Zhang Yang from Dingtian Technology. Is he in?"

Zhang Yang was in the middle of testing the updated Excellent app when he noticed someone had come looking for him. He paused his work.

"That's me. And you are?"

"Lee Shengfeng. We've spoken on the phone. I'm here for the interview." Despite his disappointment, Lee Shengfeng maintained his composure, still holding onto a glimmer of hope.