Chapter 1: Life Like Wild Grass

Chapter 1: Life Like Wild Grass
June 12, 2005.
Yanjing.

The job fair was bustling with voices.

Zhang Yang chewed on some crispy noodles, squatting like a lackey in a neglected corner.

He narrowed his eyes, glancing at the row of recruitment booths beside him.

Though it was already lunchtime, the campus job fair was still crowded with people coming and going.

His gaze fixed on three gaming companies.

“Terra Network,” “Shengteng Network,” and “Mustang Network”!

In front of these three booths, throngs of people lined up, nervously rehearsing their self-introductions.

These three were among the top three gaming giants in Huaxia…

Zhang Yang watched the HR representatives behind the booths, their smiles as gentle as spring breezes.

Then he lowered his head, staring at the creased resumes taped with transparent glue.

He took a deep breath.

Suddenly, a sense of frustration welled up.

He wanted to curse.

“Hello, you have some insights into the gaming industry. We look forward to working with you. Please go home; we will contact you anytime…”

“…”

“Hello, we don’t place much emphasis on academic background; it’s just a stepping stone. For narrative design, personal storytelling ability matters more. But given your situation, we will seriously consider it. We hope to cooperate…”

“…”

“Hello…”

“…”

Zhang Yang recalled the expressions of those people when they spoke to him.

At that time, he had earnestly approached their booths, confidently presenting his strengths.

He was full of confidence and eager for them to give him a chance.

He saw them smile kindly and patiently.

They accepted his resume and appeared to review it carefully, promising to handle it with due seriousness.

But…

As lunchtime approached, Zhang Yang inadvertently saw two figures carrying resumes leaving the scene…

He guessed they were taking a break at the nearby “Mustang Technology” recruitment branch.

After a brief hesitation, he mustered his courage and followed them, intending to privately share his vision for the future at the branch!

He possessed a unique historical trajectory and predictions for the gaming industry!

It was knowledge from another world…

He was sure he could amaze them!

Perhaps even secure a decent position and turn his fortunes around!

But…

“Looks like we won’t find suitable candidates today. This batch is really low quality—lots of inexperienced otaku with only technical diplomas coming to hand in resumes. Do they think game design is as simple as playing games?”

“Could be worse—they at least have technical diplomas. I just met someone with only a high school diploma… What’s worse, he was arrogant, claiming he could handle narrative design and some operational roles, saying he had ideas that would benefit our company and going on about the future of the gaming industry… I was stunned.”

“Yeah, I met him too! He earnestly handed me his resume, saying academic background wasn’t important, he just needed a chance, even willing to intern without pay to prove himself… I was shocked and kept looking at it, thinking maybe he was just messing around… But no, he was genuinely out of his mind…”

“Someone who can’t even get into college—probably has some intellectual issues… At our Mustang booth, he was full of empty talk. I almost thought he was a prodigy returning from overseas… Then I saw his education level and nearly lost it! What the hell is this…”

“There are actually quite a few weirdos like this…”

“Look at these resumes—one’s from a stutterer who can barely speak properly, another’s a big, simple-looking guy wanting to join operations—what’s he thinking? And this one looks sickly…”

“This job fair is full of freaks!”

“These resumes are heavy to carry back, but they all have to be dealt with sooner or later…”

“…”

Zhang Yang overheard these words.

Then…

His hopeful expression instantly froze.

All the self-introductions he had prepared, all the carefully modulated speeches, vanished into thin air.

He watched as the HR staff tore up resume after resume, sighed, and then dispersed.

After they left, Zhang Yang stared at the shredded resumes tossed into the trash bin.

Perhaps…

This wasn’t the first time these HRs had done this kind of screening.

Their timing was perfect: shortly after tearing the resumes and throwing them away, the cleaning lady would come to collect the trash.

If Zhang Yang hadn’t overheard those words, no one would have known that so many resumes were discarded in mockery.

Under the suspicious gaze of the cleaning lady, Zhang Yang picked through the shredded papers on the ground.

Then…

Alone in a corner, he painstakingly pieced the resumes back together and taped them.

He stared at the resumes, silent for a long, long time.

Why couldn’t these big companies properly review resumes, or at least understand the candidates before making a decision?

Why the rush?

But maybe…

This was normal?

Some people were destined to be eliminated?

Zhang Yang felt as if he’d been slapped hard across the face.

He firmly believed that the resume he had spent over a week meticulously writing didn’t deserve such ridicule.

More so…

They shouldn’t mock those applicants…

Does stuttering affect programming?

Does being big and simple-minded affect operations?

Does looking sickly or having a limp affect art work?

Appearance…

Is it really that important?

They weren’t in the business of appearances!

At the very least!

Shouldn’t they call and tell those people they’re not suitable?

What did it mean to just tear up their resumes like that?

People divided into classes—lower class not even worthy of a call?

Back at the job fair, the crowd was still thick.

Zhang Yang noticed a few students eating on their own nearby.

In the corner, a plain figure nibbled on steamed buns while seriously reading a book.

He seemed out of place with everyone else.

Zhang Yang felt a sense of familiarity and looked again at the resume.

It was from the “stutterer” named Zhong Chongwen…

The resume showed he came from a remote village near Luocheng and was a fresh graduate.

Zhang Yang bit into his crispy noodles and fell into deep thought.

Not long after, Zhong Chongwen stood up and, still stammering, handed out his resume at various booths…

He really couldn’t speak a smooth sentence; sometimes his face flushed red, yet he couldn’t complete a full sentence.

Everyone looked at him oddly…

When he left, his eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked quite distressed. Zhang Yang saw him pinch his own arm hard.

He seemed to hate his own performance but was powerless to change it.

Seeing this…

Zhang Yang glanced around again.

Then he noticed on the other side, a figure with a limp sitting on the ground after leaving the fair, staring blankly into the distance, while many people glanced at him deliberately or not…

All kinds of looks.

His name was Zhao Hang.

Since childhood, he had polio; now his legs were not very agile.

After finishing the last bite, Zhang Yang quietly exhaled.

Since…

This damn world wouldn’t let people rise,

Then fine…

At this moment…

A wild idea flashed through Zhang Yang’s mind!

I’ll do it myself!

…

“We are like wild grass, living in a vast, desolate world…”

“We are battered by wind and rain, scorched by fire, unnoticed, often trampled upon…”

“We live humbly, surviving yet insignificant…”

“But we always grow toward the sun. One day, we will bloom, covering the mountains and plains, spreading to every corner of the world…”

“…”

Yanjing.

The job fair was still noisy.

Zhang Yang carefully wrote these words down with a pen.

After finishing, he read them over seriously, closed his eyes, and imagined himself reciting them aloud.

In his mind…

He stood in a place of great attention.

Clenching his fist, he passionately spoke these words!

His voice ringing out, stirring a thousand echoes!

Thinking this way, he felt his emotions surge powerfully, almost overwhelmed with fervor.

He opened his eyes, glanced once more at the empty spot beside Terra Network.

Taking a deep breath, he left the job fair.

More than ten minutes later, he returned carrying a megaphone and a signboard!

Then!

To everyone’s shock…

He stood at the empty spot beside Terra Network, holding the signboard.

“World Top 500 gaming company, king of gaming entertainment trends, ranked number one on the top ten youth favorite gaming companies, Universe Technology grandly hiring!”

“…”

(End of chapter)