Chapter 003: The Choice

Seeing that another twenty minutes had passed, Lin Luyou knew it was time to leave. She put away her notebook, not forgetting to slip the sticky note into her backpack as well.

At the door, she spotted the ragdoll cat still basking in the sunlight. Unable to resist, she crouched down and stroked its back twice.

“Big sister’s off to an interview—be a good luck charm for me, okay?”

Turning right after stepping outside, she walked less than a minute before Masse’s imposing headquarters came into view.

Grand and tasteful.

That was her first impression upon entering the building.

The lobby was scented with a delicate aroma—sweet but not cloying, instantly lifting her spirits. Big corporations, much like five-star hotels, seemed to favor “scented memories” to deepen their imprint on visitors; or so Lin Luyou mused.

She took a moment to survey the lobby’s décor before focusing on the lounge area to her right.

“Here for the interview? Please wait over here.” The staff member at the front checked her invitation and stepped aside to let her through.

Beyond the rope barrier, several other candidates had already arrived. No one spoke; everyone clutched folders of résumés, heads lowered over their notes, as if gathering their thoughts for the final round.

“Luyou!”

A sudden tap on her shoulder made her turn instinctively, only to see a familiar face.

“Yuyuan! You’re here for the interview too?”

Yuyuan—whose real name was Yu Yuan—was a classmate from university. Both had minored in Applied Psychology and often worked together on group projects.

They were on friendly terms, so seeing each other now felt especially heartwarming.

“That’s right! What a coincidence. I was hoping I’d run into someone I know, and here you are!”

Seeing a familiar face, Yu Yuan started chattering away, which helped Lin Luyou relax as well.

“To be honest, you’re the last person I expected to see here.”

“Why? Because I majored in Finance?”

“Exactly—just look at your credentials: a top finance major at a prestigious university, not to mention your CFA and FRM certifications. You’ve been champion in the city’s investment competitions three years running, and placed in the top three in both the national and international mathematical modeling contests…”

Yu Yuan ticked off each honor on her fingers, and by the time she finished, Lin Luyou herself was starting to feel self-conscious. Then Yu Yuan’s tone shifted.

“Don’t you think switching to a job unrelated to your major is a waste of all that?”

“It’s not as drastic as you make it sound…” Lin Luyou hesitated.

Truthfully, if Yu Yuan hadn’t listed her “achievements” right in front of her, she wouldn’t have thought herself particularly suited to finance.

Many around her felt the same, even the interviewer last week had asked her the very question.

But she was simply drawn to e-commerce, Lin Luyou thought.

She could still recall her answer at the time: Whether it’s finance, mathematics, the internet, or e-commerce, at their core, they’re all interrelated. Her university experience was more a training of the mind. The way she thought and applied logic wouldn’t have to start anew just because she switched industries.

Despite her confident response, Lin Luyou herself wasn’t entirely sure if she was on the right path.

But that’s just how she was—once she set her sights on something, she’d see it through to the end.

Before she could dwell on it further, the proctor announced that they could enter the examination room.

She handed in her résumé and received a sticker to place on her chest.

Lin Luyou knew that the final test of whether she could join Masse officially began now.

For the next hour, she had no name—only the number YG-10.