Recruitment Turmoil (3)

Pei Shao had not even answered those questions before he began to lose his nerve. He wanted to say he could not do it and leave as quickly as possible. But just then, Castle's unusually resolute voice sounded in his ear. "Put your résumé in front of her!"

"Why?" Pei Shao lowered his head and asked softly. This immediately made the girl who called herself Lin Meijing frown slightly.

"Because only something this difficult suits my taste. All right, stop asking questions. Do as I say: put down your résumé, then raise your head and look directly at her!" Castle's tone allowed no argument. Pei Shao licked his dry lips, raised his head, and did his best to remain calm as he met Lin Meijing's gaze.

Lin Meijing found it strange that his eyes had suddenly changed. Even the two highly educated applicants just now had immediately backed down after hearing her requirements. Could this guy really meet them?

Half doubtful, Lin Meijing looked Pei Shao over once more. Then she suddenly heard three words pop from his mouth. "I can!"

Lin Meijing froze slightly, then quickly revealed a faint, barely noticeable smile. "May I ask your name?"

"My name is Pei Shao!"

Lin Meijing gave an "Oh" and lowered her head to look at Pei Shao's résumé. She had assumed that even if his background was not as impressive as those two men's, it would at least be close. But after one look, Lin Meijing was utterly shocked. Pei Shao could even see that when Lin Meijing looked up again, there was a hint of anger in her eyes.

She probably thinks I'm mocking or deceiving her, Pei Shao thought bitterly.

But Castle in his pocket repeatedly told him not to avert his eyes and to keep his expression calm, so Pei Shao could only force himself to follow Castle's instructions.

Sure enough, when Lin Meijing spoke again, her tone was furious. "Mr. Pei, are you joking? With a résumé like yours, do you think you are qualified to meet the requirements I just stated? Our company does not welcome men like you who love to boast. I personally despise them. Leave immediately, or I'll call security!"

Her words immediately drew a chorus of jeers from the people around them. Their expressions were varied as they looked at Pei Shao—some disdainful, some gloating, and others finding a strange sense of balance in his embarrassment.

"I..." Pei Shao was so anxious that the veins in his neck stood out.

"I'll say it one more time. Leave immediately! Otherwise..." Lin Meijing had barely reached the middle of her sentence when Pei Shao, who had just been red-faced and flustered, abruptly cut her off. "Miss Lin, why do you only look at résumés and not at actual ability? I believe that if you ask me a few questions, no matter how difficult they are, I'm still confident I can answer them!"

Pei Shao delivered those words neither humbly nor arrogantly, while cold sweat from his palms soaked the trouser legs he had clenched into a wrinkled ball. Fortunately, no one noticed. What Pei Shao had just said was simply too outrageous, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Lin Meijing, seated across from Pei Shao, was even more surprised. Before she could speak, however, the outstanding graduate from the Renmin University Department of Journalism and the overseas returnee from Australia, who had been hiding among the crowd and watching the spectacle, both jumped out at the same time and shouted, "That's right! We can answer any question too!"

"In that case... fine!" Lin Meijing probably felt that unless she gave them a few difficult problems, these people would not back down.

"Then let's begin! The first question will test your memory!"

"OK!" The three men exchanged glances and answered in unison. Quite a few onlookers gathered around at that moment, pointing at them and whispering among themselves.

After making some simple preparations, Lin Meijing handed out a colored A4 sheet of paper covered with a long string of numbers.

"If you can memorize the first thirty digits of this sequence within one minute, you pass!"

"Damn!" The two highly accomplished graduates immediately crowded forward and began memorizing. From the way they looked, they practically wished they could gouge out their eyeballs and stick them to the paper.

Meanwhile, Pei Shao took advantage of that brief moment to have a quick exchange with Castle.

"Mr. Castle, can your electronic eye work like an X-ray? Does it have X-ray vision?"

"Of course it can! Go on!"

"Okay!"

Reassured, Pei Shao immediately rushed over. While pretending to memorize the numbers, he quietly inhaled the fragrance drifting from Lin Meijing.

Second by second, the time passed. One minute quickly came to an end.

"Stop!" Lin Meijing took back the paper. "You may start reciting now. Who wants to go first?"

"Me, me!" The Australia graduate eagerly called out, "45876, 59874, 65347..."

Lin Meijing listened while nodding in satisfaction. Clearly, she was secretly impressed by his memory as well.

After reciting thirty-five digits in one breath, the man won a round of applause from the crowd. The other graduate from Renmin University began to look serious. Pei Shao, on the other hand, was completely confident and even smiled at the people around him.

The second to step forward was the outstanding graduate from Renmin University. His result was slightly better than the previous man's. He recited thirty-seven digits, once again drawing cries of amazement from the crowd.

This time, the Australia graduate could no longer keep a straight face. In contrast, the Renmin University graduate looked utterly pleased with himself.

Finally, it was Pei Shao's turn.

He began unhurriedly. By the thirtieth digit, he deliberately glanced sideways at the two outstanding graduates and let out an intentionally hesitant "Uh." The two men were immediately delighted, thinking, As expected, a third-rate university student is still a third-rate university student. He's clearly no match for us! But Pei Shao's subsequent recital, as precise as a computer's, stunned everyone present, including Lin Meijing.

"15697, 65489!" An audience member exclaimed from below, "My god, what digit is that? One hundred and twenty-six?" The sheet Lin Meijing had brought out was from a fun number game run in one issue of the magazine where she worked. It contained more than three hundred digits, and the original intention was for readers to discover the pattern within them. Yet the answer to that pattern was extremely difficult. Even Lin Meijing herself had been unable to solve it before seeing the answer.

But this guy named Pei Shao not only recited every single number in one breath, he also said something at the end that utterly shocked Lin Meijing. "Miss Lin, this sequence actually isn't difficult. Haven't you noticed the pattern?"

Heavens!

Lin Meijing felt as though she was about to faint.