Chapter 131: The Intern

The Human Resources department where Cheng Xiaoyu was stationed could hardly be called a peripheral division; at the very least, it was slightly better than the Celebrity Peripheral department, yet it remained just as far removed from the political center of Shanghe.

Shanghe had its own cafeteria. A few interns agreed to meet there for lunch. Although the internship was unpaid, the company was not so stingy as to withhold food.

Nine people stood in front of the employee cafeteria to introduce themselves. The person organizing the group was a senior management student from Jiao Tong University. He was dressed like a corporate elite, his crisp white short-sleeved shirt tucked neatly under a tie, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses. He wasn't particularly tall or handsome, but he was warm, approachable, and possessed clear leadership qualities. He had been assigned to the Corporate Publicity department, where Su Yuxi and Xu Qinning were also stationed under the A&R division. In the music industry, A&R (Artists and Repertoire) is a department within a record label responsible for scouting and developing singers or artists.

The Jiao Tong student introduced himself first: "My name is Luo Ping'an, a senior in the Management department at Jiao Tong University. We are all interns here this summer. Even though we don't know where the future will take us, meeting here is a stroke of fate. Let’s exchange contact information; as the saying goes, having an extra friend means an extra path. If you ever need my help in the future, I will do my utmost to assist you." Although Luo Ping'an lacked striking looks, he exuded a powerful aura, clearly the mark of someone who had spent years in student government. Such a person, provided they could swallow their pride and play the sycophant, was the type to thrive in any company. Cheng Xiaoyu wondered why he had chosen to intern at Shanghe.

Next was a girl with a very attractive appearance from the Music department of Shanghai Normal University. While Shanghai Normal’s music program was decent, it was far inferior to the Shanghai Theatre Academy—which, in this timeline, was a powerhouse that combined the best of the previous world’s drama and conservatory schools, standing peerless in China. She had been assigned to the Performance department. She introduced herself with grace: "My name is Qin Senmei, or you can call me Xiaomei. I’m a senior in the Music department at Shanghai Normal. I’m a Leo, and I hope we can all look out for one another."

Cheng Xiaoyu took a moment to observe this vibrant girl. She was sweet-looking, about 165 centimeters tall, with chestnut-colored hair brushing her shoulders and a healthy, sun-kissed complexion that radiated youth and vitality. With her phoenix eyes and oval face, she wasn't a classic beauty at first glance, but she became more captivating the longer one looked. Clearly, she was the focal point of the interns' attention.

Following her was a rather arrogant boy, a graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music who had been assigned to the Production department. He had been hired through a formal interview, unlike the "dabblers" like Cheng Xiaoyu, and naturally had no interest in Luo Ping'an’s proposal to exchange numbers. Being the type to flaunt his talent, he tried to set himself apart by feigning disdain for associating with ordinary people. "My name is Ma Guoli, a graduate of the Central Conservatory," he said casually. "You guys chat, I have things to do." He turned and walked off to get his lunch. In Ma Guoli's eyes, only Luo Ping'an and Qin Senmei were worth knowing; the rest were just small fry padding their resumes.

The rest of the group held no one special—just unremarkable, fresh-faced newcomers. Cheng Xiaoyu didn't say anything profound; he was the last to give his name and mention he was from the Shanghai Theatre Academy. When he said the name of his school, everyone looked at him with slight disbelief, but they quickly lost interest. In Cheng Xiaoyu, they saw only an unremarkable, slightly chubby boy.

After exchanging phone numbers, the group naturally fractured into cliques. Cheng Xiaoyu stood alone, carrying his stainless steel tray to get his food. The boys clustered around Qin Senmei, while most of the girls gravitated toward Luo Ping'an.

Cheng Xiaoyu scanned the room, but couldn't find Su Yuxi or Xu Qinning. He needed to discuss how to transfer to the Planning department with them, as he was completely unfamiliar with Shanghe Records and had no one to help him. As for Su Changhe, Cheng Xiaoyu had no desire to seek him out. Before he started, Aunt Zhou had told him that his father would not intervene in his internship and wanted him to start from the very bottom.

Because Su Changhe was busy with work, he was unaware of Cheng Xiaoyu’s transformation; in his mind, his son was still a pampered, immature brat. He assumed Cheng Xiaoyu had only gotten into the Shanghai Theatre Academy because of Zhou Peipei’s connections. The demo tape Cheng Xiaoyu had given him still lay forgotten in a desk drawer in the study.

Zhou Peipei herself was a ballet dancer and lacked a clear understanding of the Chopin International Competition. Since Su Yuxi had already won numerous international piano awards, she hadn't taken Cheng Xiaoyu’s third-place finish seriously, assuming the head of the piano department had simply done her a favor. Besides, she had been an examiner during those days and was too frazzled to mention it to Su Changhe.

Cheng Xiaoyu was not naturally gifted at communicating with his elders, nor did he possess a charismatic aura that made people like him instantly, so taking the long road was inevitable.

As a new intern, he had to dutifully accept his assignment to the Human Resources department, doing menial tasks. That morning, he had already gone downstairs twice for coffee and once for magazines. As for the Production and Planning departments on the 67th floor, he hadn't even had a chance to peek inside.

While eating, Wang Ou messaged him to ask if he was going to the "Light Forest." Cheng Xiaoyu replied that he was interning at the company and likely wouldn't have time.

Wang Ou replied with regret, asking if that meant there would be no performance from "Guilty Crown" this summer.

Cheng Xiaoyu typed back quickly, "Not necessarily. Let me coordinate my schedule first, then I'll make arrangements." He then told Wang Ou to practice the guitar hard so he could keep up with the band.

Wang Ou replied with a simple "Mm," and didn't bother the lonely Cheng Xiaoyu any further.

Cheng Xiaoyu spent the afternoon bored in the office, only called upon occasionally to run errands or deliver files. Whenever he had a moment of leisure, he didn't want to waste it, so he took out several sheets of paper and began composing. To him, time was incredibly precious.

When he was once again sent downstairs to Starbucks to buy coffee and desserts for the Production department, he finally understood what "Human Resources support" meant.

Cheng Xiaoyu stood up from his desk, took the money and the list of orders from Tao Bihua, and left the office. He decided he would talk to "Lao Gan Ma" about transferring departments when he returned. Of course, the nickname "Lao Gan Ma" was something only he understood.

Cheng Xiaoyu painstakingly carried seven or eight cups of coffee and a bag of desserts from the Starbucks on the second floor into the elevator. Although Starbucks offered delivery, it usually took forever. Large companies with free intern labor always chose this fast and convenient method for afternoon tea.

With both hands full, Cheng Xiaoyu couldn't press the elevator button. He turned to a sexy figure standing by the panel and said, "Excuse me, miss, could you please press 67 for me?" The Production department was one floor above Human Resources.

Hearing that he was going to the 67th floor, the woman turned around. When she saw him, both were left in an awkward position. The woman was none other than Sun Jingyao.

Cheng Xiaoyu wasn't surprised they had run into each other—working at the same company, it was bound to happen—but he hadn't expected it on the first day.

Sun Jingyao was a bit surprised to see Cheng Xiaoyu running errands. In her imagination, he was the kind of rich kid who spent his days racing cars and chasing girls. Sun Jingyao gave him a stiff greeting; after all, she still owed him thanks for the incident where she was secretly filmed. As for her lawsuit, it had been dropped; the company felt that such legal proceedings would only generate negative press. The paparazzo had been detained for fifteen days and then released.

Cheng Xiaoyu replied with a lukewarm "Hello," and didn't offer any further small talk.

When they reached the 66th floor, Sun Jingyao stepped out; she was headed to the Talent Management department to sign a contract for a new commercial endorsement.

The moment the elevator doors closed, Sun Jingyao looked back at Cheng Xiaoyu. His appearance was slightly comical: despite his chubby, baby-faced features, he was trying to dress like a mature adult. His beige slacks and white shirt were too large for him. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he wore thick, black-rimmed glasses. Yet, for some reason, Sun Jingyao found his posture upright and possessing a unique temperament, which made her wonder if her taste had declined.

Standing at the elevator entrance, a familiar face greeted her warmly. Sun Jingyao tore her gaze away from the closed elevator doors, nodded with a smile, and headed toward the talent agency.

She didn't hear the whispers behind her back: "They say she tried to sleep her way into Director Li’s movie and got rejected."

"Really? She doesn't look like that kind of person. She’s quite serious at the office and always dresses modestly."

"Tch, you haven't seen the photos she took for that magazine. They were absolutely indecent."

"Well, things like that are common enough in showbiz to get ahead. Why be so surprised?"

"I just can't stand how she acts so innocent and upright," the woman who had greeted her so warmly scoffed.

Her boyfriend had once told her that he loved women like Sun Jingyao—women who exuded true femininity.