None

Although the company displayed is Zhenhao Internet Media Co., Ltd., the recruitment information is for Renyu International Education Co., Ltd. The two companies have the same person in charge. The former mainly handles internet media advertising, while the latter specializes in study-abroad programs in the Philippines and English education, including the sale of courses and teaching materials. The registered locations of the two companies are also nearby, in the same neighborhood. Renyu is registered as a Singaporean foreign-invested company.

The location is the Ruixing Building on Zhongshan North Road. Because it is situated in an alley, it takes some searching to find. Upon arriving, I waited on a sofa in the reception area. The environment was relatively quiet, with around 10 or more people inside and rows of desks. There was a meeting room in front of the waiting area, as well as two private offices at the very front of the employee work area. The layout gave off the atmosphere of a traditional office.

After waiting for about 10 minutes, I was first led into the aforementioned meeting room. Inside was a long table that could seat approximately 15–20 people and a projector in the center. After I finished the written test for the interview,

about 15 minutes later, a man in his 40s came in carrying a laptop and began the interview. Overall, the experience made me feel quite uncomfortable. The notes he was making on his laptop gave me the impression of an interrogation scene from a police-and-criminal drama, with a suspect being questioned by the police. The only difference was that the meeting room’s glass was not transparent from the outside, so people outside could not see in, and there were staff members standing outside monitoring the room. In addition, the other party displayed a flippant attitude during the conversation. I personally place great importance on formal communication during interviews, especially when both parties are meeting for the first time. Casual conversation would be acceptable, but when responding to my question, the other party gave a frivolous, loud laugh that was clearly visible even through the mask. The reason was the attitude he displayed when responding to my expected salary. Although he said, “To be honest, from the company’s perspective, this level of salary is unacceptable,”

I therefore felt that there was no need to continue speaking with the company. Interestingly, the other party still wanted to continue the conversation and asked about my minimum expected salary. I then casually gave a figure because I wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible. However, he said that the company could accept that figure, but the salary would never be adjusted again. The conversation then ended hastily, but the other party apparently did not realize this and even asked whether I did not accept the offer. I could only state firmly that I currently did not.

Looking back, the entire process was very strange. My qualifications and résumé were already visible on the employment website, so if they did not match the company’s position, why did they invite me to an interview? They not only notified me online but also called me. The questions about my résumé were also very strange. Although this kind of experience has happened before—asking personal questions unrelated to my work experience—it is a major red flag for me. Combined with the aforementioned police-interrogation atmosphere and environment, questions such as what I had done after leaving my previous job and whether I lived with my family made me feel that something was wrong. The other party asked questions while tapping on the laptop and, in an interrogative tone, said things like, “Can I understand this as …? Is that right? What I’m actually asking is …” Every minute and every second felt as though I were giving a police statement.

Moreover, since the information and the match between my résumé and the position should already have been clear to the company, bringing me to the interview only to say that I was not a good fit and to cut the salary offer was extremely unpleasant. They really did not need to waste both parties’ time.