met free Chapter 1449 Even I don't believe myself.
Chapter 1449 Even I don't believe myself.
After a month of intense preparation, the day of the trial finally arrived.
At 8:30 a.m., a large crowd had already gathered outside the courthouse. Chen Junsheng stepped out of a taxi, surrounded by his family. His parents were there, and everyone was dressed in formal dark clothing with solemn expressions. Chen Junsheng himself wore a dark gray suit, his hair neatly combed, but his face betrayed his exhaustion, and his eyes were bloodshot.
Almost simultaneously, another car pulled up in front of the courthouse. Luo Zijun stepped out, accompanied by Tang Jing, Xue Zhenzhu, and Luo Ziqun. Luo Zijun had deliberately dressed in an elegant beige suit and applied light makeup, trying to look like a presentable mother, but her swollen eyes and pale face betrayed her recent condition. Xue Zhenzhu, Luo Ziqun, and Bai Guang were also dressed in their best clothes, but the difference in their families' economic circumstances was clearly evident.
The two met at the courthouse entrance, and the atmosphere instantly became tense. Chen Junsheng and Luo Zijun exchanged a glance but remained silent. Chen Junsheng's eyes held a complex mix of guilt and reluctance. Luo Zijun's eyes, however, were filled with resentment.
"Junsheng..." Xue Zhenzhu wanted to step forward and say something, but was stopped by Chen Junsheng's mother.
“Mother-in-law, let the lawyer say what he has to say in court today.” Chen’s mother’s voice was gentle but firm.
Xue Zhenzhu opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing, only looking at Chen Junsheng with red eyes.
Tang Jing supported Luo Zijun and said softly, "Zijun, don't be nervous. With Attorney Wang here, I will do my best to help you."
Luo Zijun nodded, but her hands were trembling slightly.
As is customary, the court arranged for mediation between the two parties before the trial. In a small conference room, the judge's assistant attempted to persuade both sides to reach a settlement.
“Mr. Chen, Ms. Luo, divorce hurts children the most. It would be better for the children if you could resolve this through negotiation,” the judge’s assistant said sincerely.
Chen Junsheng was silent for a few seconds, then raised his head, his voice hoarse but firm: "I am willing to make the greatest concessions in the division of property. The house, the car, and the savings can all be given to her. But I must have custody of Ping'er. This is my bottom line."
Upon hearing this, Luo Zijun immediately became agitated: "No! I don't want anything! I only want Ping'er! Ping'er is my life, and no one can take him away from me!"
The judge's assistant continued to persuade her: "Ms. Luo, please calm down. Mr. Chen's offer is very generous. If you accept it, it will at least guarantee your and your child's future livelihood..."
"I don't want money! I just want my son!" Luo Zijun cried out, interrupting her, "Why are you helping him take my child? Why?"
Mediation lasted half an hour, but both sides remained adamant about wanting the child and neither was willing to budge. The judge's assistant shook his head helplessly: "In that case, we'll have to see you in court."
……
After the court session officially began, the atmosphere became even more tense.
After briefly introducing the basic facts of the case, the presiding judge announced that the court debate would begin.
Attorney Zhang spoke first. He stood up, straightened his suit, and walked to the center of the courtroom, his voice clear and strong: "Your Honor, esteemed judges, today on behalf of my client, Mr. Chen Junsheng, I would like to present the following facts to the court."
He opened the folder and took out a stack of bank statements and spending records: "First of all, I must point out that Ms. Luo Zijun has been extravagant and lacks basic financial management concepts and a sense of responsibility throughout their twelve-year marriage. According to the bank statements, with Mr. Chen Junsheng's total after-tax income of about ten million yuan, the family savings are currently less than three hundred thousand yuan. This means that Ms. Luo Zijun has spent nearly ten million yuan in twelve years, the vast majority of which was used for personal luxury consumption."
He showed several photos of Luo Zijun's home filled with shoe cabinets and storage cabinets: "These are some of the luxury goods that Ms. Luo Zijun has purchased, including shoes costing 80,000 yuan a pair and bags costing 150,000 yuan each. This unrestrained consumption habit not only seriously affects the family's financial security, but also fails to instill a good set of values and consumption habits in her children."
In the audience, Luo Zijun's face flushed red and then turned pale. She wanted to argue, but Attorney Wang held her hand down.
When it was Wang's turn to speak, he stood up and said in a calm but firm tone: "Your Honor, the opposing lawyer has focused on our client's spending habits, but has overlooked an important fact—my client, Ms. Luo Zijun, is the primary caregiver and companion of our child, Ping'er."
He produced a document: "This is Mr. Chen Junsheng's attendance record for the past three years, which we have collected. The record shows that Mr. Chen Junsheng works an average of more than 60 hours per week, often working overtime until late at night or even the early morning. In the past three years, he has worked more than 200 days after 10 p.m. and spent more than 50 nights at the company."
Attorney Wang looked at Chen Junsheng and said in a more serious tone: "Mr. Chen Junsheng has been busy with work for a long time and has seriously neglected to accompany his child's growth. According to my client's statement, from the time Ping'er was born, from feeding him and changing his diapers to teaching him to walk and talk, almost everything was done by Ms. Luo Zijun. As a father, Mr. Chen Junsheng has not fulfilled his due responsibilities at all."
He turned to the bench: "At the heart of the custody decision is who can better care for the child's daily life and emotional needs. A mother who is present with the child long-term is clearly more suitable to raise the child than a father who is absent for a long time. We urge the court to give full consideration to this point."
Faced with Attorney Wang's accusations, Chen Junsheng stood up, his eyes red. His voice trembled slightly, but was firm: "Yes, I admit I work a lot of overtime and don't spend as much time with Ping'er as his mother. But what am I working so hard for? Isn't it to provide better conditions for this family, to give Ping'er a higher starting point, to let him receive a better education in the future, and to have more choices?"
His voice choked with emotion: "I was thinking that if I earned more money now, he could have a better life in the future. Isn't that love? Does love only mean being by his side every day?"
In the audience, Chen Junsheng's mother couldn't help but wipe away her tears.
Attorney Zhang added at the opportune moment: "Furthermore, we disagree with the opposing lawyer's claim that Ping'er was raised solely by Ms. Luo Zijun."
He produced a witness statement: "First of all, when Ms. Luo Zijun was pregnant, Mr. Chen Junsheng's mother clearly expressed her willingness to come and take care of her and the child. It was Ms. Luo Zijun who felt that there was a conflict with the elderly woman's daily routine and that the elderly woman was too controlling, so she rejected the plan for the elderly woman to come and take care of her."
He then presented another piece of evidence: "Secondly, Mr. Chen Junsheng accompanied Ms. Luo Zijun throughout her prenatal checkups during her pregnancy and breastfeeding period. He also booked the most expensive postpartum care center for Ms. Luo Zijun before she gave birth, spending over 100,000 yuan. After returning home from the postpartum care center, he hired a professional postpartum nanny who took care of the child until the child was three months old. Later, after the child started kindergarten at the age of three, he hired a professional nanny to take care of the mother and child's daily life."
Attorney Zhang looked at the judge's bench, his tone calm but firm: "In other words, Ms. Luo Zijun only truly cared for her child alone for less than three years. After that, the child was cared for by teachers while attending kindergarten and by a nanny at home. The rest of the time, Ms. Luo Zijun probably spent less time with her child than the nanny, right?"
"Chen Junsheng, you bastard!" Luo Zijun stood up, her voice shrill, pointing at Chen Junsheng. "You were the one who said you'd spend any amount of money on me! You were the one who said I'd be beautiful and you'd earn money to support the family! And now you're using those things to attack me? Are you even human?"
"Silence!" The presiding judge tapped his gavel. "Please control your emotions, parties involved!"
Looking at Luo Zijun's hysterical state, Chen Junsheng felt a pang of pity and reluctance in his eyes. But he knew that this was the most crucial moment, and he couldn't be soft-hearted. For Ping'er's sake, he had to harden his heart.
Attorney Zhang gently patted Chen Junsheng on the shoulder and whispered, "The courtroom is a battlefield, so don't be soft-hearted."
Then he stood up and said loudly, "Your Honor, I have a witness."
"Call the witness."
The first witness summoned was the nanny, Yaqin.
Yaqin walked nervously into the courtroom and sat down in the witness stand. She was dressed in clean but ordinary clothes, looking like a simple working woman.
“I started working for the Chen family when Ping’er was three years old, and I’ve been doing it ever since.” Yaqin’s voice trembled slightly, but it was still clear: “My job is to do housework, cook, pick up and drop off the children from school, and…”
Attorney Zhang walked up to Yaqin and asked gently, "Ms. Yaqin, what kind of person is Ms. Luo Zijun in your impression?"
Yaqin glanced at Luo Zijun in the audience, clearly hesitant and afraid. She lowered her head and whispered, "She...she's a really difficult person. If I don't do something right, she'll nag endlessly, and sometimes she even curses at me. And...and not only do I have to do housework, but sometimes when she goes shopping, I have to carry her bags for hours on end, and my legs are swollen from standing."
She paused, then mustered her courage and said, "If it weren't for the fact that Mr. Chen pays me a higher salary than other places, I... I wouldn't serve him."
"Objection!" Lawyer Wang, standing next to Luo Zijun, immediately stood up: "Your Honor, Yaqin has an employment relationship with Chen Junsheng. Her testimony is clearly biased and cannot be accepted!"
The presiding judge pondered for a moment, glanced at Yaqin's tense expression, then at Chen Junsheng and Luo Zijun, and finally said, "This court will carefully consider the testimony of witness Yaqin. However, due to her employment relationship with the parties involved, the probative value of her testimony is limited. Continue."
Attorney Zhang seemed to have expected this. He nodded, returned to his seat, and took out a stack of documents from his briefcase: "Your Honor, we have a second set of evidence—the testimonies of our neighbors and Luo Zijun's classmate."
He presented these testimonies, which were largely the same: in the eyes of her neighbors, Luo Zijun was a wealthy woman who "spends money extravagantly," "only knows how to go shopping all day," and "doesn't care much about her children"; in the eyes of her classmates, Luo Zijun was a person who "was lucky enough to marry a good husband," "lived a luxurious life from then on," and "was completely different from before."
One testimony was particularly jarring: "At the class reunion, Luo Zijun kept talking about what designer brands she bought and how much money her husband made. She acted like a nouveau riche, which made people very uncomfortable."
Luo Zijun looked at the testimonies, her fingers trembling with anger. She wanted to refute them, to curse them, but Tang Jing held her hands firmly down.
"Zijun, calm down," Tang Jing said softly.
Luo Zijun's eyes were red and brimming with tears. She never imagined that her neighbors, who always greeted her with smiles, and her former classmates, would talk about her like this behind her back.
Finally, Attorney Wang stood up: "Your Honor, we also have witnesses."
"Call the witness."
The moment Tang Jing walked into the courtroom, everyone looked at her. Today, Tang Jing was wearing a dark blue business suit, her hair meticulously combed back, looking capable and professional. She walked to the witness stand, her expression calm.
"Ms. Tang Jing, what is your relationship with Ms. Luo Zijun?" Attorney Wang asked.
"Luo Zijun and I were classmates in college, shared a dorm for four years, and have kept in touch ever since graduation. We've always had a great relationship," Tang Jing said clearly and firmly.
Attorney Wang nodded: "In your opinion, what kind of person is Ms. Luo Zijun?"
Tang Jing looked at Luo Zijun with gentle eyes: "In my eyes, Luo Zijun is a good wife and mother who loves life, is simple and kind. She gave up her job for her family and took care of her husband and children wholeheartedly. Although she can be a little temperamental and willful at times, it's because she cares too much about this family, her husband and children."
She paused, then continued, "As for consumption, I believe everyone has the right to choose their own lifestyle. Luo Zijun does like to buy things, but many of the things she buys are to make herself look better and to make her husband feel more proud. Isn't that a sign of love for her husband?"
In order to help Luo Zijun gain custody, Tang Jing racked her brains and used every good word she could think of to describe Luo Zijun.
But Zhang, Chen Junsheng's lawyer, remained calm. After Tang Jing finished testifying, he stood up and said, "Your Honor, we request to call a second witness."
"Call the witness."
When Qin Hao walked into the courtroom, Luo Zijun and Tang Jing were both taken aback. They never expected that Qin Hao would appear in court as a witness for Chen Junsheng.
Qin Hao was dressed in a dark gray suit today, his expression calm and his steps steady. He walked to the witness stand, nodded slightly to the presiding judge, and then sat down.
"Mr. Qin Hao, what is your relationship with Ms. Luo Zijun?" Attorney Zhang asked.
"Luo Zijun, Tang Jing, and I are college classmates." Qin Hao's voice was calm and even. "And in recent years, due to work, we've had quite a bit of contact."
Attorney Zhang nodded and continued, "In your opinion, what kind of person is Ms. Luo Zijun?"
Qin Hao was silent for a few seconds, then slowly said, "To put it simply: a self-centered and suspicious person."
"You're talking nonsense!" Luo Zijun couldn't help but shout, but was immediately stopped by the presiding judge.
"Witness, please continue," Attorney Zhang said.
Ignoring Luo Zijun's angry glare, Qin Hao continued, "In Luo Zijun's eyes, any young, unmarried woman who gets close to Chen Junsheng is seducing her husband. She will do everything she can to investigate these women, even getting Tang Jing to help her investigate. This matter is already common knowledge in Chen Junsheng's company, causing great trouble for Chen Junsheng's work."
He paused, then added, "Moreover, Luo Zijun has no concept of money. She can spend 80,000 yuan on a pair of shoes and 150,000 yuan on a bag, but she never considers that this money is earned by Chen Junsheng through hard work, nor does she consider the future of the family. I think that such a person is not suitable to raise a child alone."
After giving his testimony, Qin Hao sat down in the audience. Tang Jing immediately questioned him angrily in a low voice, "Why did you testify for Chen Junsheng? Don't you know that this could kill Zijun?"
Qin Hao turned to look at her, his expression calm: "Then why did you help Luo Zijun testify in court?"
Tang Jing was speechless for a moment, then said, "We've been classmates for a while, even if you don't help, you can't harm Ziju, can you?"
"I don't think I'm harming her," Qin Hao said calmly.
"Is it really for her good to lose custody of the child?"
"In her thirties, divorced, with a son, penniless—how can she support herself and her son?" Qin Hao looked at Tang Jing, his eyes serious. "Don't tell me you can support them. You should understand the principle of helping in an emergency but not in a lifetime better than I do. You can support them for a while, but can you support them forever?"
Tang Jing wanted to argue, but Qin Hao continued, "Besides, Ping'er will definitely have a better life with Chen Junsheng. She'll have her grandparents to take care of her, a better education, and a more stable environment. Isn't that the best choice for the child?"
Tang Jing opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. She knew Qin Hao was right, but she just couldn't accept it. How could she stand idly by, seeing Luo Zijun in such pain?
"Fine, I can't win against you." Tang Jing turned her head.
……
Subsequently, Chen Junsheng's parents also appeared in court to testify.
Both elderly people were retired teachers, well-dressed, and spoke with gentle manners. They expressed their willingness to move to Shanghai to wholeheartedly care for their grandson and help their son share the responsibility of raising him.
“Ping’er is our grandson. We love him and will take good care of him.” Chen’s mother said, her eyes reddening. “We know that Ziju loves the child too, but Junsheng is also the child’s father and has the right to raise the child. We will try our best to let Ziju see the child more often and will not prevent them from seeing each other.”
Mr. Chen was more rational: "From an educational perspective, as retired teachers, we are capable of tutoring our child. From a livelihood perspective, we have pensions, housing, and can provide our child with a stable living environment..."
The two elderly people's testimonies were very convincing. In contrast, Luo Zijun dared not let Xue Zhenzhu and the others testify in court at all—given Xue Zhenzhu's personality, she might argue with the other side in court.
Attorney Wang could only try his best to defend from an emotional perspective, emphasizing Luo Zijun's love and sacrifices as a mother. However, faced with the ample evidence prepared by Attorney Zhang and the compelling testimony of Chen Junsheng's family, his defense appeared increasingly weak.
The court proceedings lasted the entire morning. After a recess at noon, the court resumed in the afternoon.
Finally, after careful consideration by the collegial panel, the presiding judge pronounced the verdict in court:
"This court finds that the relationship between the plaintiff Chen Junsheng and the defendant Luo Zijun has indeed broken down, and grants the divorce."
Regarding the issue of child custody: the son born in wedlock, Chen Ping (Ping'er), shall be raised by the plaintiff, Chen Junsheng, and the defendant, Luo Zijun, shall have the right of visitation, the specific visitation method of which shall be determined by mutual consultation.
Regarding the division of property: the property located at No. XX, XX Road, XX District, Shanghai (with a market value of approximately RMB 6 million) shall be owned 50% by the plaintiff and 50% by the defendant; the RMB 300,000 in savings shall belong to the defendant Luo Zijun; and the BMW sedan with license plate number Hu AXXXXX shall belong to the plaintiff Chen Junsheng.
"The case acceptance fee shall be borne by the plaintiff."
"If you disagree with this judgment, you may file an appeal within fifteen days from the date of service of this judgment."
After the presiding judge finished reading the verdict, the courtroom fell silent.
A few seconds later, Luo Zijun suddenly let out a piercing scream: "No—!"
She stood up abruptly, pointed at the presiding judge, her voice trembling and shrill with emotion: "By what right? By what right do you award my son to him? Ping'er is mine! He's mine!"
She turned to Chen Junsheng, her eyes bloodshot, as if she had gone mad: "Chen Junsheng! You'll die a horrible death! You stole my son, you'll get your retribution!"
Then, pointing at Attorney Zhang and Qin Hao, she said, "And you! You accomplices! You helped Chen Junsheng steal my child!"
Her voice grew louder and louder, and she completely lost control of her emotions. Tang Jing quickly stood up and hugged her: "Zijun, calm down! Zijun!"
But Luo Zijun was no longer listening; she struggled desperately, trying to rush towards Chen Junsheng. Court police officers immediately stepped forward to stop her.
"Ms. Luo, please control your emotions! Otherwise we will take coercive measures!" the presiding judge said sternly.
Tang Jing hugged Luo Zijun tightly and whispered in her ear, "Zijun, don't do this! It won't do you any good! Let's leave here first and think of something when we get back!"
Luo Zijun broke down in tears in Tang Jing's arms, her body going limp. Tang Jing helped her, and they walked out of the courtroom step by step.
Chen Junsheng stood there, watching Luo Zijun's departing figure, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Attorney Zhang patted him on the shoulder: "Mr. Chen, we won. You should be happy."
Chen Junsheng shook his head with a wry smile.
He walked up to Qin Hao and said sincerely, "Old Qin, thanks. If it weren't for you, things might not have gone so smoothly today."
Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder: "I'm just telling the truth. Go back and have a good talk with your son. After all, when couples divorce, it's the children who suffer the most."
"Yes, I know." Chen Junsheng nodded.
As Qin Hao watched Luo Zijun's dejected figure, a thought suddenly popped into his head: Without Ping'er as her "helper," could Luo Zijun still make He Han fall head over heels for her?
He was curious.
……
After losing the lawsuit, Luo Zijun returned to the hotel, completely disoriented. She slumped onto the bed, her eyes vacant, motionless, as if her soul had been ripped away.
Tang Jing looked at her with heartache and gently comforted her, "Zijun, we can still appeal. The first instance verdict is not the final result, we still have a chance."
Luo Zijun seemed to be activated by these words, and she sat up abruptly, staring at Attorney Wang with pleading eyes: "Appeal! We must appeal! The sooner the better! I can't live without Ping'er, I must get him back!"
Attorney Wang shook his head with a wry smile, looking troubled: "Ms. Luo, if I may be frank, given your current situation, even if you appeal, it will be very difficult to regain custody."
"Why?" Luo Zijun asked anxiously.
"The key issue is your own situation. When the court decides on custody, the primary consideration is who can provide a more stable environment for the child's growth. This includes factors such as economic conditions, family environment, and educational support."
He looked at Luo Zijun and said sincerely, "First of all, you must have a certain economic foundation. That is to say, you need a job that is enough to support yourself and your child, and a stable source of income."
Luo Zijun was stunned, then broke down in tears with red eyes: "I haven't worked for more than ten years! I've been a housewife since the day I married Chen Junsheng! How can I compete with those young people if I go back to work now? I don't even know how to use a computer, I don't even know what's popular now, how am I supposed to find a job?"
"Zijun, I believe you can do it..."
Before Tang Jing could finish speaking, Luo Zijun interrupted her in a shrill voice: "What do you believe? I don't even believe in myself. You're successful now, a partner at Bianti, so of course you think finding a job will be a piece of cake! But do you know how brutal the job market is right now? There are 765 million college graduates this year! 765 million! How can I, a housewife who's been out of the workforce for over a decade, compete with them?"
Tang Jing felt a pang of sadness at Luo Zijun's tearful complaint.
But she couldn't say that. She had to give Luo Zijun hope.
Tang Jing stepped forward, gently hugged Luo Zijun, and said softly, "Zijun, I know this is difficult and not easy. But unless you give up your custody of Ping'er, you can only force yourself to become strong. This is the only way."
Luo Zijun cried even louder in Tang Jing's arms: "Tang Jing, you have to help me. No one else can help me now but you. I have no job, no income, no house, I have nothing... I only have you..."
"Okay, I'll help you." Tang Jing hugged her tightly: "We'll look together, and we'll definitely find a job that suits you. We'll definitely get Ping'er back."
After Attorney Wang left, Tang Jing opened her laptop and began helping Luo Zijun search for suitable jobs online. Her criteria were broad: no industry restrictions, no experience requirements, as long as the salary met the basic living standards in Shanghai.
But Luo Zijun looked at those job postings and made various excuses to decline.
“This company is in the suburbs, which is quite far. I live in Puxi, and it takes me at least two hours to commute every day. I can’t do it, it’s too tiring.”
"Huh? Only 3500 a month? This job can't even support Ping'er, let alone myself."
"Does this require frequent overtime? No way! If I work overtime, who will pick Ping'er up from school? Who will cook for him?"
"This requires office software? I... I only know how to use a computer to watch movies and browse Taobao. I'm not very good at office software..."
Tang Jing initially tried to explain patiently, but after Luo Zijun gave her over a dozen reasons, she finally lost her temper. She slammed her laptop shut and huffed, "Then you might as well not want Ping'er! If this won't work, that won't work, just give up!"
Luo Zijun was startled by Tang Jing's attitude and quickly said, "Yes, I want him... Ping'er is my life, how can I not want him?"
Seeing Tang Jing's angry expression, she said sullenly, "Alright, alright, I won't say anything anymore. I'll do whatever you say. I'll do whatever you tell me to do."
Tang Jing then turned on her computer again and continued to help Luo Zijun filter job postings. As she filtered, she explained, "Zijun, you need to be realistic. Given your current situation, it's impossible for you to find a high-paying job. We must start with the most basic positions to have an income and prove that you can support yourself. Only after you have work experience and proof of income can we fight for custody in the second trial."
Luo Zijun nodded, though reluctantly, she didn't say anything more.
Tang Jing worked until late at night, sending out more than a dozen resumes for Luo Zijun. Unexpectedly, she actually received three interview invitations.
"This one is an interview at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, for a sales position at a clothing store," Tang Jing said, pointing to the computer screen. "This one is scheduled for eleven o'clock tomorrow morning, for a cashier position at a supermarket. If you hurry, you should be able to get there. And this one is at 2:30 pm, for a warehouse manager position at a company."
She wrote down the interview address and time on a piece of paper and handed it to Luo Zijun: "Remember everything, and don't be late. First impressions are very important."
Luo Zijun took the slip of paper, looked at the dense information on it, and said with a pained expression, "Oh? So many interviews in one day? And they're all so far away, what if I can't make it?"
"If you don't make it in time, you'll lose a job that could potentially help you get back custody of Ping'er," Tang Jing said seriously. "And tomorrow, you're not allowed to take a taxi; you have to take the bus or subway. Consider it a preview of what commuting is like for office workers, because you'll be relying on them to get to and from get off work for a long time to come."
"Huh?" Luo Zijun's eyes widened: "The subway is so crowded, the bus is so slow... I..."
“There is no ‘I’,” Tang Jing interrupted her. “There is only ‘must’. Ziju, this is the path you have chosen. Either grit your teeth and move forward, or give up Ping’er. There is no third way.”
Looking at Tang Jing's determined eyes, Luo Zijun finally nodded: "I understand."
Tang Jing then smiled and patted her shoulder: "Go for it, Luo Zijun, I believe in you, you can do it."
……
However, it turned out that Tang Jing had overestimated Luo Zijun.
The next morning, the alarm clock rang promptly at 7:30. But Luo Zijun groggily turned off the alarm, rolled over, and fell asleep again.
When she was woken up by the alarm clock again, it was already 8:30. She sat up abruptly, stared at the clock, and her mind went blank.
A few seconds later, she realized—it was a nine o'clock interview!
She hurriedly got up, washed, changed clothes, and put on makeup. But by the time she was all ready, it was already 8:50. The subway ride from the hotel to the interview location would take at least 40 minutes, which was simply too late.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Luo Zijun suddenly felt deflated. Since she was already too late, she simply lay back down on the bed and took a nap.
She wasn't woken up again until 10:00 AM when the alarm for her second interview went off. This time, she didn't dare sleep anymore, so she quickly got up, packed her things, and left the hotel.
When she arrived at the subway station, she realized she had left the interview map Tang Jing had planned for her at the hotel. Without a map, she didn't even know how to take the subway—which line to take? Where to transfer? Which exit to use?
She was in a panic and rushed back to the hotel to get the map. This back-and-forth trip wasted another half hour.
When she finally boarded the subway, although the morning rush hour was over, the crowds were still so dense that Luo Zijun questioned her existence. For the past twelve years, she had either driven or taken a taxi when she went out, and had never taken the subway during rush hour. She never expected that the Shanghai subway would be so crowded—crowded, noisy, and with stuffy air, everyone's face etched with exhaustion.
She was jostled by the crowd, her high heels aching, and her carefully styled hair was disheveled. By the time she rushed to the first company for her interview, she was already fifteen minutes late.
The receptionist politely but coldly told her, "I'm sorry, Ms. Luo, your interview has been canceled because you're late. Our manager said that someone who's late for an interview definitely has a problem with their work attitude."
Luo Zijun was stunned for a moment, then got angry: "What kind of lousy company is this? They treat a salary of just over three thousand a month like a treasure? I don't even care!"
She stormed off, glanced at the time—it was already 11:00. She decided to find a coffee shop, sit down, have a coffee, rest for a while, and then head straight to her 2:30 PM interview.
The afternoon interview was for a warehouse manager position at a small company.
As soon as she arrived at the location, the boss asked her to start a trial job.
Ten minutes later, the boss couldn't take it anymore.
"No, waitress, what are you doing? I asked you to move goods, and you're embroidering here? Get out of here, my place is too small for someone as big as you." (End of Chapter)