Boys of Ice and Fire

"Tell me a little bit about your education and job experience." said Shaun dryly, as if this was one of those casual afternoon chats in a coffee house. Ethan felt stunned by Shaun's fine features and his nonchalant yet assured way of talking. But he couldn't dwell on that. He had a job to secure, after all. "Well, I graduated from Tianjin Foreign Language Institute in 2010," said Ethan. "Then I worked as a freelance translator and interpreter for several years. Then, in 2016, I went to Peking University to pursue my post-graduate studies. Upon graduation, I went to China Film Animation, where I worked as a script writer. " Ethan chose not to talk about his depressed state from 2010 to 2016, lest the interviewer would think him emotionally unstable and thus unsuitable for the job. And he was grateful that Shaun seemed like a casual person and did not pursue this issue. "Why did you go to Peking University after so many years in the workforce?" asked Shaun. Ethan was not surprised at the question at all. This was absolutely an extraordinary thing to do in China, given how much people are accustomed to doing certain things at a certain age. Any tiny change would inflict anxiety on the person in question. "Well, I found my work as a translator a bit boring," said Ethan smoothly. "I sort of reached the ceiling and couldn't feel myself growing anymore. So I guessed I had to make a change. I always strive for the best. It's my life's creed." "That's... impressive," said Shaun, his voice and facial expression bland as usual, but his appreciation for Ethan was palpable. "And what's the greatest challenge you face working as a script writer?" Shaun's questions all seemed very typical and general. So, Ethan was worried that Shaun was only an entry-level interviewer and that there would be more interviews to come. He needed the job urgently and didn't want to wait for too long. "Well, my submissions tend to get passed by the editor very soon. But I have this ambition to write the best stuff. So I always feel that I have to improve on my every submission. That's something that's been troubling me throughout my entire career." Ethan tried to sound like a proactive co-worker and an aggressive writer. He guessed companies nowadays welcome this type of employee. And sure enough, Shaun looked very pleased with Ethan's answer and began to talk about the payment. "What's your expectation of your salary?" Ethan had been through a lot of interviews and gladly took a hint from this question. He knew Shaun wanted him. "I hope I can get $3000 - 4000," said Ethan. "4000 if I have to work overtime a lot." Shaun seemed to have swallowed a lump in his throat. Ethan assumed he had expected too much and had made Shaun uncomfortable, but that's what he thought he deserved, based on his many years of experience working fluently in the English language and writing animated films. Writing animation videos for English lessons would surely be a task he was readily made for . As if he knew he wouldn't be able to guarantee such a high pay, Shaun began to talk about the promising future of his project. "Our project is a new one, teaching kids oral English lessons," said Shaun, his voice fervent yet suppressed. "We have millions of users guided into this project from our company's established projects. And we aim to achieve a gross revenue of $10 million within this year." Ethan was amused how desperate Shaun was to have him on his team. Actually, he would join Shaun no matter what, for Shaun's face had an irresistible charm on him. "Alright, cool," said Ethan. "Can I ask another question?" "Sure." "Is this the last interview?" "It is. I'm the supervisor of this project." said Shaun, his voice confident. It turned Ethan on a bit. "Then I have no more questions," said Ethan. He closed the video chat and felt relieved he didn't have to pretend to be normal anymore. Shaun was definitely his type, and he must go to work with him.