Some people think internships are just for learning at companies.

That’s not wrong.

But it depends on where you’re interning. At a company with a relaxed atmosphere and slow work pace, interns wouldn’t have much to do. They could leisurely follow regular employees and learn a bit, and with a sweet mouth and quick hands, someone would be willing to teach them. But if the company’s pace was fast and everyone was overwhelmed with their work, who would have the patience to teach interns?

Being sweet-talked wouldn’t help – others had no time to chat!

Grey wasn’t wrong either. If interns wanted to learn at GMP, they’d have to figure things out while doing the work. No one would explain in detail beforehand how to do things. They had to think for themselves during the process, and once finished, they’d see if they did it right.

If wrong, just do it again.

If you don’t want to see disappointment on your supervisor’s face, make fewer mistakes and don’t say “no.”

If Cornell undergraduates couldn’t handle it, GMP could hire graduate students or architects with work experience and credentials – these were the employees GMP needed… Interns? They were replaceable – if they couldn’t do well, so be it.

Because they were jointly recommended by Wilson Hotel and Cornell University due to business connections, Xia Xiaolan and other student interns received some salary for these two months. Otherwise, firms could simply hire any students for odd jobs with minimal cost!

Xia Xiaolan was well prepared – GMP wasn’t a charity. People who couldn’t create value for the firm weren’t worth attention.

Just like in her company, if new hires bragged about themselves and demanded high salaries with housing and car benefits, CEO Xia would tell them to get lost!

Xia Xiaolan quietly did Grey’s assigned tasks but didn’t rush. She was observing GMP’s New York office staffing and daily operations.

New York partner Mr. Andrew Kissinger could be passed over – Xia Xiaolan couldn’t access him.

Wilson Hotel project design team leader Hans Hoffman… this senior architect was worth targeting. He was Grey’s direct superior, and Grey was Hoffman’s assistant. Having her manage Xia Xiaolan and Matthew was a way of letting them “participate” in the project.

Xia Xiaolan mentally listed her GMP internship goals:

1. Gain Grey’s recognition

2. Gain Hans Hoffman’s recognition and participate in the Wilson Hotel project design

3. Quietly study GMP’s operational structure to apply to building her architectural firm back home

The three progressive goals had clear logic. Xia Xiaolan’s mind was very clear.

She and Matthew reached a “ceasefire agreement” – no internal fighting, just reasonably divided and completed Grey’s assigned work well.

Matthew, that calculating boy, obviously couldn’t behave. While working, he flirted here, and made coffee there, clearly trying to actively integrate into GMP.

Even buying coffee wasn’t necessary – GMP had its break room with fresh coffee machines that interns and other employees could use freely.

This made sense – architects often worked overtime on projects, so how could they not have coffee?

Unable to buy coffee for others, Matthew found another way, ordering donuts and pizza to the office. GMP’s New York office had more men than women – Matthew was focusing on pleasing female employees while maintaining an overall presence.

“Xia, have some pizza?”

Xia Xiaolan didn’t refuse, “Thanks, I am quite hungry.”

While Matthew’s approach seemed to seize the initiative, Xia Xiaolan wasn’t anxious.

If it came to shameless networking, how could this youngster compare to her face trained over two lifetimes? But this wouldn’t help achieve her three internship goals, so she was happy to let the calculating boy have his way.

Rather than clever, sociable interns, Grey needed someone who could truly help. When exerting effort, Xia Xiaolan would focus on one target, never spreading herself thin. Her first-stage target was Grey… All morning, Grey had been extremely busy, frequently entering and exiting senior architect Hoffman’s office. Through the semi-transparent glass partition, Hoffman was leading the entire team in discussions.

The soundproofing was too good to hear specifics.

But it must be the Wilson Hotel project – this was Architect Hoffman’s urgent work.

Competing with Foster and P&W must put great pressure on GMP.

The opportunity came suddenly. Grey opened her office door again, scanning around. Everyone seemed busy with their work, the Cornell intern chatting with reception—

Xia Xiaolan stood up immediately, walking over: “Grey, I’ve completed these documents.”

Grey took them, quickly scanning them, though it wasn’t clear if she was looking. When she looked up, she directly instructed Xia Xiaolan:

“Come in, don’t ask questions, just do what you’re told. Can you manage that?”

“Yes!”

Xia Xiaolan saw Matthew abandon the receptionist and stride over, but she gave him no chance, slipping into Architect Hoffman’s office they both coveted.

“Sorry, Senior Carlton.”

Xia Xiaolan’s retreating figure silently apologized. Matthew stopped, finally understanding how Xia Xiaolan felt watching the elevator doors close earlier.

No, this was a hundred times more infuriating!

When Xia Xiaolan missed that elevator, she could take another.

Having missed Grey’s summons, Matthew wouldn’t get a second chance today.

“She is grudge-holding and domineering…”

Matthew gritted his teeth – when Xia Xiaolan had Heidi apologize, he already knew this Chinese exchange student would be in trouble!

Xia Xiaolan didn’t care what Matthew thought.

Entering the coveted Hoffman office, her half-day wait hadn’t been wasted.

Opportunities favor the prepared. Besides doing Grey’s work, Xia Xiaolan had been researching the Wilson Hotel project’s progress. Harold’s idea wasn’t new this year – he’d bought the hotel construction land last year. Firms wanting this project have been doing concept designs since last year. Now Wilson had approved concept designs from Foster, P&W, and GMP, and GMP needed to produce more detailed design drawings.

After winning the bid, construction drawings would follow.

Interns like Xia Xiaolan joined precisely at this point – she followed Grey into Architect Hoffman’s office, not because Hoffman had remotely discovered her talent, but because Grey needed an assistant.

Grey told Xia Xiaolan not to ask questions, fearing interns would anger Hans Hoffman.

An architect who hadn’t been home for three days, if his state had to be compared to something, was probably like the great demon McCarthy before checking homework.

Following Grey, Xia Xiaolan felt June’s abundant New York sunlight. The floor-to-ceiling windows made the office incredibly bright. A large work table in the middle was piled with drawings and documents, as architects with messy hair and bloodshot eyes debated intensely… Taking a deep breath, this was the smell of “architecture” – truly invigorating!