The cab rumbled to a stop at the edge of a vast compound, where the cityscape gave way to open fields and the old soul of Meiping City lingered in the crisp morning air.
Lin Shuyin stepped out, her eyes sweeping over the ancient wrought-iron gates of Verdant Bloom Organics.
The sign was faded, the walls weather-worn, but the silence that loomed behind them was deceptive. This wasn't some crumbling relic of the past—this was the cradle of innovation, the core research division of one of the nation's oldest and most respected organic farming companies.
While its headquarters shimmered in the capital with skyscrapers and stock tickers, the true heartbeat of the company pulsed here—far from the limelight.
She glanced down at her phone. One bar of signal.
Still, the call connected. "Hello?"
"Thank god," Chen Yuwei's voice burst through the speaker, breathless with worry. "I've been waiting forever. Did you reach safely?"
Lin Shuyin looked up at the old, sprawling building ahead, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Just arrived."
"I still feel awful I couldn't drop you off. If it weren't for my uncle—"
"Yuwei," Lin Shuyin cut her off gently, "you had a family emergency. I'm fine. It was just public transport, not a war zone."
"That's not the point!" Chen Yuwei huffed. "That place is practically in the middle of nowhere. What if something happened?"
Lin Shuyin laughed softly. "I'm fine. I'm eighteen now, remember? I can take care of myself."
"You turned eighteen last week! That doesn't count." Chen Yuwei's voice dropped to a half-muffled grumble, thick with anxiety. "Anyway, Shuyin—please call me the moment it's done, alright? Just breathe. You're going to do amazing."
Lin Shuyin glanced at the weathered grandeur of the building ahead, her tone calm, almost amused. "Yuwei, I'm the one going in for the interview, remember? You sound more nervous than I do."
"I am more nervous than you!" Yuwei shot back. "You're treating this like it's just a walk in the park, and I'm over here imagining every worst-case scenario ever."
A soft laugh slipped past Shuyin's lips. "I'm fine. Really."
There was a pause. Then Yuwei's voice came, quiet and earnest. "Okay. But still... call me right after. All the best, Shuyin."
Shuyin's smile lingered. "I will. Talk soon."
As she pocketed her phone, she took a deep breath. The wind carried the scent of soil and citrus, a scent that reminded her of another life. A safer one. A quieter one. But she had long since stopped longing for safety.
The waiting lounge inside was spacious, built more for utility than comfort. Candidates dotted the seats—all older than her, dressed sharply, trying their best to look calm. But the tension was thick in the air, coiling like smoke.
Lin Shuyin took a seat by the glass wall, her gaze wandering.
That was when she saw her.
Just outside the side gate, barely visible through the transparent glass, an elderly woman hunched over two heavy wooden crates stacked beside a delivery cart. Her back was bent with age, clothes frayed and mud-streaked. The guards nearby ignored her, chatting among themselves.
No one moved.
Except Lin Shuyin.
Without a second thought, she stood and slipped out through the side exit.
"Let me help you," she said, gently lifting one of the crates with practiced ease.
The old woman blinked, startled. Her fingers were gnarled with age, and her skin leathery from decades under the sun. "Ah... thank you, child. I didn't think anyone would bother."
"It's nothing," Shuyin replied with a warm smile. "These boxes are heavy. You shouldn't be lifting them alone."
They placed the crates safely on the cart. As she wiped her hands, Shuyin noticed the smudge of dirt that had transferred onto her pale blouse.
The old woman noticed too. Her weathered eyes widened. "Oh no, your clothes! Wait, wait—I have some money—let me pay for the cleaning."
Shuyin laughed softly and shook her head. "Please don't. It's just a bit of fabric. I can manage."
The old woman looked at her for a long moment, eyes sharp despite the wrinkles at their corners. "People like you are rare these days," she said finally, her voice low, tinged with something almost knowing.
Before Lin Shuyin could respond, the woman leaned forward slightly. "Are you here for the interview?"
"Yes," Lin Shuyin nodded.
The woman's expression shifted in an instant. "Then go! Quickly now. Don't keep them waiting. And… good luck, child."
Lin Shuyin blinked at the sudden urgency, but smiled and gave a polite bow. "Thank you, ma'am."
Then, turning gracefully on her heel, she headed back inside, unaware that a pair of sharp, thoughtful eyes followed her until the door shut behind her.
Lin Shuyin walked up to the reception and asked calmly, "Excuse me, has the interview started yet?"
The receptionist checked the schedule. "Not for another 30 minutes. Delayed."
"Could you tell me where the restroom is?"
"Left hall, second door."
Lin Shuyin thanked her and turned toward the hallway. But fate had other plans.
She turned a corner and walked right into another woman—a collision too quick to stop. A splash of hot liquid exploded between them. Coffee.
"Are you blind?!" the woman shrieked, recoiling as brown stains spread over her cream-colored blazer. Her hair was curled to perfection, makeup pristine, nails sharp and red.
Lin Shuyin instinctively apologized, "I'm really sorry—let me—"
"Don't touch me!" the woman snapped, pulling back. "This is a designer piece. Do you even know what that means? Of course not."
She didn't wait for a reply, stomping off in indignation, leaving Lin Shuyin standing in the hallway with her damp shirt.
Suppressing a sigh, Lin Shuyin entered the restroom, splashing water to clean up as best as she could. She looked at herself in the mirror.
Her reflection looked tired.
But her eyes?
They still held fire.
When she returned to the waiting lounge, something had shifted.
The receptionist stood up, voice louder now. "Attention, all candidates. Please gather in the main corridor. The interview format has changed. You will all be assessed together."
Confusion spread like wildfire.
"Together?"
"Wasn't this a one-on-one interview?"
"What kind of company changes format last-minute?"
Lin Shuyin said nothing, falling in step with the others as they were ushered into a larger hall down the east wing.
From somewhere above, an elderly woman sat poised—clean, regal, dressed in modest yet professional attire—sipping her tea as she watched the young woman below.
Her assistant leaned in quietly. "Madam Wu, shall I prepare the usual screening questions?"
Without taking her eyes off Lin Shuyin, Madam Wu replied, "No. Today, we do something different. Let's see who can weather the storm."
And the storm?
It had only just begun.