敲著鍵盤過日子
工作和生活帶來素材，敲鍵盤帶來作品
3.13 模擬麵試
“Mock interview, Ding ding ding, Mock interview.”還沒有來得及消化這封初讀起來都是常識，但是仔細想過又覺得非常有指導意義的信。蓬著的頭垢著的麵遮不住程弈田一臉的驚喜，她在開門請進尹伯文的當口問：“How did you get in the main entrance?”
“You never know how many French students I know.”驕傲，而且是大寫的，布滿了整個臉龐。法語，在美國是繼西班牙語學的人第二多的語言。最近幾年，學習中文的人也越也越多。不管是法語，還是漢語，都讓這個跨越兩種文化的法國人驕傲。目前，他是不承認自己是中國人的，就像弈田認識的MIT裏很多的ABC隻認同自己是有著中國血統的美國人一樣。“Napoleon did not need to sleep at all, Yitian!”他沒有手表，把手機開機頁伸到程弈田眼前， 10點25分.
“That's why he is dead now, don't you know that?”
“Haha, smart, you petite!”尹伯文絲毫不掩飾對程弈田如此反應的讚許，“Alright, it's your interview day, get dressed, in suit, please.”
當程弈田再次出現在尹伯文麵前的時候，他連忙掏出一張名片，塞到弈田手裏，說：“Dear Madam, my name is Jean Jacque, nice to meet you. What makes you apply for our operations manager position?”弈田雙手恭謙地接過名片，並伸出手要跟他握手。“Jean Jacque, nice to meet you too. My name is Yitian. I read your ads online and browsed your website, your product line and company culture made me click the 'send' button a few days back.”對答如流。倒是尹伯文繃不住先笑場了，“Ok, let's go to the real mock up interview, I can't do that, I know you too well.”
波士頓的金融街區跟世界上任何一個都市的CBD都一樣。高高的，灰色的，抑或是深藍色強烈反射著日光的水泥叢林。大鳥們忙碌地出沒於水泥樹上靠外側有些風景的大隔間，要不是大鳥們經常開門放些小鳥們進來商討事宜，外麵看，沒有人會以為森林裏還住著那樣的小的不起眼的鳥兒們。Roy Takenaka 和 Bernard Berenstein就是兩隻這樣的小鳥，至少尹伯文剛才跟程弈田介紹他們時這麽嘲笑他們，還說自己連小鳥都當不上。他們說，尹伯文沒有選擇跟他們一樣成為鳥兒，可惜了，像他這樣外表謙和，但內心強悍，有強烈的號召力，並且可以成功地把自己被圈到某隻特大鳥羽翼下的小鳥也有可能很快成為大鳥。程弈田不懂外國人是不是一見麵都是這樣嘲笑和自我嘲笑，他們看起來都挺友善。
上了18樓，在一個拐角的會議室裏，他們坐了下來。Roy給大家從靠門的冰箱裏拿來幾聽碳酸飲料之後，就和Bernard 並排坐到程弈田對麵。尹伯文擺弄了一下Roy身邊的電腦，跟Bernard小聲說了幾句，拍拍弈田的肩旁，說“I thought it's a mock up interview, but the hiring manager told me that it’s a real one，加油！”然後，就走開了。他們剛才說什麽，弈田聽不懂，但是用大二那年選修的半年德語課的些許知識來判斷，他們說的是德語。中文，英語，法語，德語，天哪，弈田聽到過尹伯文說的，就有四種語言。程弈田還曾經自詡自己懂三種語言呢，中文普通話，英語和徽州寧安話。最近跟她在北大上計算機語言學的表妹交流之後，她才確知徽州寧安話雖然跟普通話千差萬別 - 大學四年同屋同學每個禮拜都聽幾次弈田跟媽媽的家常對話，四年之後仍舊聽不出來到底她晚飯吃的是什麽 -但還是屬於同一個語係，同宗同源，甚至就是同一個東西，隻不過，寧安話比較靠近中國古代白話文。程弈田了解到英語，法語，德語除了有時會有些共同詞根衍生來的詞以外，發音方式和語法結構都極為不同。當然，他還通不過中文4級。
尹伯文走後，Roy就開始了對公司的介紹: “This company, 'BRJ associate', was cofounded by Jean Jacque, Bernard and myself a year and half back，when Jean Jacque and I finished our Ph.D. He had the idea first and approached us, at that time; Bernard had been working in BCG for 2 years already. The main product we are trying to develop is intervertebral discs which is grown in vitro environment and can be implanted to a human back. A person who is suffering from back pain and/or sciatica pain can be pain free after the surgery.”13秒鍾，Roy把公司的曆史和產品一應交代齊全，簡潔明了，難怪被世界上最頂級的谘詢公司網羅到名下。
“Very interesting. Thank you. I haven't read the job description, would you mind sharing the details of the current opening?”用詞恰到好處，語法準確無誤，平緩略升的語調中能聽出程弈田對這個公司有著濃烈的興趣。
“We currently have an office manager position available, the main responsibility of the job is to help me to organize all sorts of legal paper work and keep records of our internal meeting and document important email exchanges externally. “Bernard說道。他的話聽起來有明顯的德國口音，聲音比Roy的要厚重些。也可能是因為他很高大，每說一個詞，程弈田都覺得那是從天花板上用擴音器衝著自己放下來的 - 卻不刺耳，好似經低音過濾器處理過了。
法律方麵的東西，程弈田沒有接觸過；如果要做所有的會議記錄，那時間上跟自己要在幾個月內寫完畢業論文可能也有衝突。雖然，這份工作目前看起來不是多麽的理想，不過，能夠跟這些頂尖的人才一起工作一段時間，還是一個不錯的鍛煉的機會。思考了一分鍾，弈田抱著誠實的態度，回答“I don't have any background of legal education, and it's not the ideal job I am looking for. Yet, I am still interested.”
“Thank you for being honest, as a COO of the company, I don't feel I can handle all those work with my 70% of time being on the road for the day job. I suggested Jean Jacque to hire an office manager, he recommended you. Good to talk to you today. From what I see out of you, you are organized, and honest. You have got the two main attributes we are looking for. ”
“Congratulations Yitian!” Roy說著就伸出手來要恭喜程弈田。這就是mock up interview？穿一身清爽利落的套裝，帶一個暗紅色的裝著兩份簡曆的文件夾，麵試的時候認真做筆記，就是有規劃啦？重複兩次表達自己對這個工作感興趣就可以了？當然弈田還是比較滿意自己的誠實。不過，這COO和CTO當的，這樣敷衍的公司自己還真不能去呢。
還在消化這驚訝，尹伯文闖進門，大聲對那兩個家夥嚷道，“Hey, Roy, dude, Bernard, what the heck are you doing here? You are fired, with this kind of interview quality! I saw it all from the webcam! Ok, Yitian, you are the COO now, I will be the CTO and CEO。”過家家呢？程弈田還沒反應過來，三個大小夥子已經拳腳相加，笑成一團。
Roy是最活躍的一個，一路上跟程弈田介紹個沒完:“I am the fourth generation Japanese. Believe it or not, I am still 100% Japanese blood wise. I grew up in Japan Town in the heart of San Jose, well, you may not know, it's in San Francisco Bay Area.”弈田知道的，她最近申請的幾家公司都在矽穀，都在這個著名的聖荷西城周圍。
程弈田沒有急著問他們剛才麵試是不是作數，挑了個自己感興趣的話題“Wow, fourth generation, that means your family was already living in the U.S. when Japan bombed pearl harbor! ”話出來了，弈田又有一點後悔，怕這四個車輪載著的小聯合國要掀起第三次世界大戰。當然，這個擔憂完全多餘。
“My grandfather joined the U.S. army, he wasn't in the air force, but he was one of the marines! “Roy非常為自己的祖父自豪，“He was the second generation only, but I am proud of him. That was the most rightful thing he did in his entire life. ”
“你中國人，不知道。”尹伯文冒出了這麽一句，程弈田猜他的意思是中國來的第一代新移民，也就是弈田這樣的，不能理解這種想法。不要說是戰爭了，就是去年夏天的奧運會，弈田去Ashdown的活動室看電視轉播，幾乎所有ABC看到美國隊得分比中國隊高都會放肆歡呼。隻有沒有美國隊參賽，或者已經被淘汰的情況下, 才會為中國隊叫好。程弈田當時跟奚濤抱怨這些，奚濤的解釋是他們有他們選擇的自由。
“Good for him, he was right, and I am proud of him too.”Bernard開著車，也分神參加討論。“I am happy the justice won that war.”
“德國人，厲害。”尹伯文是不是就是喜歡顯擺他的語言能力啊。說中文，他們兩個顯然沒有任何反應，弈田都懶得跟進這個話題了，問道：“Roy, you said congratulations, I am hired, right? ”
"Yeah, sure! ”
“I just wanted to make sure I am hired!”不知哪裏來的勇氣，在兩個見了麵才半個小時的生人麵前，弈田居然振臂一呼“woo hoo!”
“傻妞！”他怎麽學的都是一些邊邊角角的中文的啊！
“你二愣子!”哈哈，這下你被人數落也當傻子一樣樂嗬了吧！
“二，我知道，你二！”證實了，是去過北京的，祖上真是燕京大學畢業的，這麽個二子。
程弈田第一次來日本餐館，決定先學了別人，最後一個點。“I love Blue Fin, you get all you eat sushi for $12.99 from 1 to 3PM every Saturday!”尹伯文首先宣布了他要吃這裏的buffet。
“Dude, next time when you go to San Jose, come to my Dad's restaurant, you get all you eat at the cost of electing me as the CEO!”Roy好似古靈精怪，比Bernard矮一個頭，但是看起來精氣神十足，用中國武術的話說是站如鬆坐如鍾。“Ok, you, Jean Jacque, get to be the president.”Roy哈哈一笑，轉身對服務員說：“Get me a bowl of beef ramen, please.”Roy點了一盤拉麵，還沒有完，“Ramen, the simplest thing in Japanese cuisine, you can tell how good the chef is by tasting the broth and how tender they cook the beef. Yitian, if you ever went to San Jose, remember go to this restaurant on the 3rd street. Call me from there, 617-912-0645
617-912-0645, I will let my Dad get you the most special combo. Take your most special one there too.”說完，瞟了尹伯文一眼，皺皺的眼角露出一些得意的壞笑。
“I'd like some Sashimi, sir.”德國人的香腸是出了名的，超市裏除了香腸商家會用“德國出品”來提高價格，其他的要賣的貴些都要寫個“Frenched”。這個德國人倒是喜歡日本的刺身。
程弈田試過一次河對麵的star market裏賣的裝成盒的快餐壽司。撒了些盒子自帶的小袋裝醬油，沾了點綠芥末，腥腥的味道去掉不少。那次看見奚濤被芥末嗆得難受，她下過決心以後不再買那個東西的。人走了，心空了，決心，從何而來？“I'd like to have the caterpillar roll, please. I would appreciate some wasabi please.”
"Aya, 你土，you get wasabi for free, no matter how much you want.”
“你才土，點了個最便宜的，大飯桶！”程弈田也跟他幹上了，跟剛才那個出人意料的“woohoo”一樣，弈田衝著坐她對麵的尹伯文吐舌頭翻白眼做鬼臉，看得Roy直掉眼鏡，直呼“Waiter, waiter, I need some ice water! Lot of ice!”
“Yitian, seriously, would you please take the job?”不愧是一個禮拜要工作80小時的頂級谘詢分析師，也不愧是尹伯文相中的COO，Bernard想的還是工作。
“Yes. But I don't think she should take this job.”尹伯文替弈田回答了，但也同時指出她不應該接受這個工作。Roy第一個對尹伯文的這句話表示抗議，“Jean Jacque, we like her!”
“She doesn't belong to us, Roy.” 尹伯文的反對直接而堅定， “She doesn't have H1B visa, we can't sponsor her, and we are too new and too small for her.”
“But, Jean Jacque, I thought you and Yitian... ”Roy 沒有接著說，嘣地一下把冰水杯跺在桌上，開始歎氣，搖頭。
“I truly think she is going to be a good employee, she is going to work for me, not you, Jean Jacque!”沉默了好久的Bernard也表示不理解。
“Listen, guys, she is a Chinese, she doesn't have a visa, and I can't afford her, we don't have the money. We don't know if we can make it!”見Roy和Barnard都幾乎要劍拔弩張，尹伯文保持著他的語速，盡量不讓弈田看出他有任何情緒，“Yitian, we all like you, a smart and sweet helper, but, you belong to the West Coast, you will find lots of your Tsinghua alumni, you will learn a lot in big firms, you will have your own life there very soon. We are too risky for you; I don't want you to share the risk with us. Even these two guys, they have their day job, they will be fine. I am willing to be the only one full time employee until I get the first round of big funding. I hope you will understand it. ”
“Why don't you take a day job too?”程弈田很感激尹伯文的周全考慮，同時感同身受他的風險：“Why don't you only work on it full time after you get the big funding?”
“He is stubborn, Yitian, don't be nice to him. He is devoted to his passion, he only likes to share his joy and likes to take the rest on his own, stupid guy!”明明是Roy的氣話，程弈田聽起來字字都是對對麵這個麵無表情的男人的讚美，她的奚濤也是這樣把自己往外推嗎？弈田啊弈田，你想到過奚濤可能也是從心裏明白程弈田要的是一片全新的天地，怕她跟自己回國會後悔沒有完成內心的願望才拒絕自己的嗎？
