Chapter 73 Part 1
“You!” A teammate said in frustration, “Are you afraid that President Bai will actually remember you?”
Su Mou turned his head slowly, expressionless. “He really should remember me.”
After saying this, he adjusted his clothes and straightened his collar before steadily walking towards the group.
Ren Qian sighed heavily as he watched Su Mou’s back, “This guy… he’s probably beyond saving!”
Yu Le stomped the ground in anger, “Does he think this is a vegetable market? How careless can he be!”
Muttering to himself, he continued, “If President Bai really lets him pass this round, I’ll twist my own head off. It’s impossible.”
Even though he said this, Yu Le clenched his fist, and a hint of worry flashed across his face.
Su Mou lined up, standing still in his spot. His gaze was unfocused, and his pupils were filled with countless streams of data.
At the same time, information flooded in from all directions, entering his ears.
In the corner by the door, a trainee wearing an earring and slouching casually was whistling, acting indifferent.
Su Mou’s pupils flickered.
[Name: Zhang Qin. Physical and other qualities do not meet the selection criteria for Xingsu. Records show he entered the company through connections. Based on evaluation standards and other data, Zhang Qin has a 99.99% chance of being eliminated in this exam.]
At this moment, Su Mou had no subjective consciousness. He had already marked an X next to Zhang Qin’s name in the background.
His pupils narrowed into a straight line.
[This person has been eliminated by default. ]
However, at this moment, among the countless signals connecting to external devices within the room, one signal was particularly conspicuous. The person at the other end of this connection was none other than Zhang Qin.
Zhang Qin answered a call, looking impatient. “Dad, have you taken care of it yet? The development of Xingsu is good, staying here wouldn’t be bad…”
“What? You haven’t managed to bribe the judges yet?!” Zhang Qin, flustered, smacked the wall behind him.
He started pacing nervously. Through the door crack, he could see the judges already seated inside.
He was even more irritated, with so many people around, bribing on the spot was definitely out of the question!
As he complained on the call, his eyes scanned the podium one by one. When he didn’t see Bai Ruogu, he froze for a moment.
Suddenly remembering something, he began looking around nervously and shrank into the corner.
Lowering his head and covering his mouth, he whispered, “Dad, don’t you have some connection with Bai Ruogu’s father?”
Glancing nervously at the other trainees, as if afraid of being overheard, Zhang Qin continued in a hushed tone, “You can talk to him for me. No matter how capable Bai Ruogu is, he won’t ignore his father’s face…”
“Okay, okay, you talk to him.” Zhang Qin’s eyes dimmed, and he let out a sly chuckle before ending the call.
He thought his voice had been low enough that no one heard, but little did he know, Su Mou had heard every word.
Facing the group ahead, Su Mou remained expressionless, his body unmoving. The inaudible voice that processed the information sounded mechanical, yet heavy with significance.
[Based on the current information, no matter who it is, Bai Ruogu will not allow anyone to use connections. This individual severely violates the rules. There is a 99% chance that Bai Ruogu will eliminate him. Analysis complete.]
Inside the hall, although it was quiet, outside there was some chatter as familiar faces exchanged whispers, each with their own thoughts, occasionally glancing toward the entrance. Zhang Qin crossed his arms, looking nonchalant, as if certain he would achieve a good result.
Trainees glanced around, many focusing on Su Mou, who moved mechanically. He was rumored to perform well but was said to lack any sense of tact. Some looked at him with complex expressions, while others snickered. Thus, the large-scale assessment began.
Time was running out. Bai Ruogu, with his legs straight and firm, walked briskly towards the elevator. His expression remained indifferent as he checked his collar once more. Finding everything in order, he shoved his hands into his pockets, mentally mapping out the progress of the assessment.
As he was starting to have some ideas, his smart brain suddenly lit up.
His deep pupils reflected the light from the screen showing a communication request from his father, Bai Luxi.
Bai Ruogu hesitated briefly before choosing to answer.
In the empty corridor, the quietness was broken by the cheerful laughter of a mature man.
“Hey kid, do your old man a favor…”
“Using backdoor is out of the question.” Bai Ruogu swiftly interrupted before his father, Bai Luxi, could finish.
Bai Ruogu remained calm as he casually entered the elevator, issuing an order to Su Mou.
“Ah Mou, go to the 23rd floor.”
Bai Luxi sighed helplessly, though a smile tugged at his lips. “Well, well, you’re quite capable now. You can actually get others to find connections and come to me, making me ask for a favor from you. Not bad, son, you’ve got some power now.”
Bai Ruogu lowered his gaze but remained silent.
To Bai Luxi, it was just another outsider, not worth forcing his son over. He was just trying to check in on his son’s current state, so he lazily asked one last time.
“Still not agreeing? Zhang Qin’s father, Mr. Zhang, mentioned that if you give his son a good grade, he’d give us a big contract…” Bai Luxi’s tone became slightly more serious as he spoke.
“You can also think about taking him in, anyway his father can give money the first time, he can also give money the second time, this deal’s earnings are basically what an ordinary star can’t earn in a lifetime, this kid probably doesn’t have much sense anyway.”
Bai Ruogu rested his chin on his hand and smiled. He looked up at the screen, locking eyes with Bai Luxi on the other side, and in a deep and serious tone, he said, “It’s true that doing it this way would benefit me more, but I’m afraid such trash would ruin my reputation.”
As if aware that Bai Ruogu was on a call, the elevator slowed down as it operated, in a thoughtful gesture.
Bai Ruogu calmly rolled up his sleeves and said, “I don’t want to talk about fairness, but it’s simply not worth ruining my company’s reputation over something like this.”
When the elevator doors opened and light flooded in, Bai Ruogu smiled faintly, a subtle expression difficult to read. “My backdoor isn’t that easy to enter. After all, certain principles still need to be upheld.”
A tall figure stepped out of the elevator, and at that moment, the assessment started as scheduled.
The executives, mentors, and judges were already in their places.
In the spacious venue, five or six rows of important figures were seated, highlighting the company’s emphasis on this group of new trainees.
The new trainees entered one by one in an orderly line. The quiet atmosphere made them feel tense. With makeup carefully applied, their nervousness only intensified as they stood before everyone.
There were about forty to fifty judges, most of whom wore serious expressions, their eyes filled with curiosity.
The trainee nervously stammered through their introductions. The central seat in the front row was empty, which allowed the trainee to relax a bit.
President bai wasn’t there…
That was a relief.
Taking advantage of this time, the trainee gathered his courage and began his performance.
At first, he was still somewhat nervous, but as he became familiar with the environment, his confidence grew.
The judges, initially frowning, gradually relaxed. By the end of the performance, they gave him a decent score based on their preferences.
The total score and ranking were displayed immediately. The maximum score was 100, and the trainee received 76.
Seeing this score, the trainee face lit up with relief as he sighed quietly.
He had been worried about failing, but now it seemed that he had passed.
Excited, he bowed to the judges in place. Just as he was about to turn around, the constant buzzing in the background abruptly ceased.
He froze for a moment, then turned to see a figure emerging from the shadows.
That person had a nearly perfect figure, walking with a calm and composed demeanor. His face was tranquil, and he glanced at his wrist, pursing his lips slightly upon realizing he was a little late.
As the figure approached, the distance between them shrank to about two meters, and then the person stopped.
A silver-gray suit came into view, causing the trainee’s lips to tremble. A shiver ran from his body to his brain, and he instinctively bowed hurriedly.
“Good day, President Bai.”
Bai Ruogu raised an eyebrow slightly and motioned with his hand, indicating there was no need for formalities.
The people outside, hearing the commotion, peeked in, their previously relaxed mood now on edge.
Especially the next contestant, who was about to enter the stage — his mind was on the verge of collapsing.
Why did the president show up right when it was his turn? What kind of person was President Bai? Would the assessment be strict?
The rows of seated individuals in the venue stood up at Bai Ruogu’s arrival. Those of lower status dared not move, while a few high-ranking executives stepped forward to greet him.
Many of the executives had been poached from other companies, some in their forties or fifties. It would be hard to imagine, for those unaware, why a group of people who looked like bosses themselves would bow and scrape before such a youthful and attractive man.
While Bai Ruogu was taking his seat, the trainee stood frozen in place, clearly nervous, but trying to maintain a smile, fearful of leaving a bad impression on Bai Ruogu.
Surrounded by others, Bai Ruogu sat in the center. Though young, his upright posture exuded an oppressive aura that surpassed even older generations.
Bai Ruogu glanced at the electronic screen on the table, then looked up at the trainee in the center of the room. The trainee felt a shiver down his spine.
Bai Ruogu seemed to understand something and relaxed his demeanor slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face, instantly making him seem more approachable.
“Wait a moment,” Bai Ruogu waved his hand.
The trainee could only wait nervously as Bai Ruogu replayed the video of his performance, quickly watching it through.
As the video played, Bai Ruogu’s frown deepened. Occasionally, he would jot something down on a piece of paper beside him, making the trainee’s previously eased nerves tense up again.
His palms were drenched in sweat, and a drop of sweat slid down from his temple.
Everyone knew that President Bai had significant authority in this evaluation. While his score only accounted for fifty percent of the total, if he was dissatisfied, his decision alone could determine a contestant’s fate. Even a perfect score from the other judges would be useless.
As the video ended, the trainee braced himself to be dismissed.
However, a clear voice came through the speakers.
“For this assessment, I’m giving you a score of 70.”
The trainee felt an immense sense of relief as his tension dissipated. Everything was fine, everything was fine.
The previously displayed score dropped, settling at 73.
Bai Ruogu’s fifty percent weighting had lowered the average. The trainee had no complaints, he had thought his original score was inflated anyway. The new score made him feel like his feet were finally on solid ground.
Bai Ruogu was not someone who beat around the bush. He immediately took out his notes from earlier and explained them to the trainee one by one.
“The assessment scoring is based on four aspects. Besides your skill level, which accounts for 40 points, the other three aspects are worth 20 points each. One of these is personal impression…” Bai Ruogu paused for a moment, then looked up and continued calmly.
“To be honest, I’ve seen plenty of people who are more skilled than you, which makes it difficult for me to have a particularly favorable impression.” Bai Ruogu spoke at a leisurely pace, even beginning to write something down on paper, his brow relaxed.
“So, under normal circumstances, I usually give a personal impression score of 15 points. The same goes for you. This time, I’m giving you 15 points…”
The judges nodded as they listened.
They looked at the screen in front of them, where the scores for the other participants were displayed once they were all revealed.
They could see at a glance the personal impression scores given by others: some gave 17 points, some gave 15, and some gave 13. Overall, the average was around 15 points.
The judges seemed to understand something and quietly nodded.
If nothing went wrong later, they would likely set the personal impression score at 15 points too.
Bai Ruogu continued to point out each detail. “You performed a dance, but some of the steps were wrong. For example, at one minute and thirty-three seconds into the assessment, that’s a mistake that should never happen…”
He was meticulous, pointing out every deduction until the end, making it hard for anyone to argue with the score he gave.
The trainee, trembling, walked to the stage and took the paper from Bai Ruogu’s hand. His back was soaked with sweat, but inside, he felt a sense of relief, as if he had narrowly escaped disaster.
President Bai was truly kind. Despite so many mistakes, he still gave him a decent score. If it were up to him, he wouldn’t have even bothered looking and would have eliminated himself directly.
His round was over, and soon, the next person was about to take the stage. The trainee didn’t leave the room but sat quietly in a dark corner, watching the other participants perform one by one.