Chapter 346 – A Prime Talent for the National Translation Department!
“President, you’re looking for me?”
When the knock on the door sounded and Professor Liang, a woman in her fifties, entered, Jiang Wenxu snapped out of his daze and suddenly realized that he had called Xu Jinning in today to discuss her studying abroad.
“Yes, Professor Liang, Xu Jinning said she was proficient in multiple languages and translation, so I wanted you to test her.” He almost added that it was best not to let the young girl boast too much.
He almost said that part out loud, but somehow he held back, thinking about what had just happened.
If everything he saw and heard earlier wasn’t just a figment of his imagination due to mental strain, then Xu Jinning was not an ordinary person.
Since she wasn’t an ordinary person, her proficiency in languages shouldn’t be too surprising.
He shouldn’t hastily define a student without proper evaluation; that would be wrong.
Better to let Professor Liang assess her first.
“Xu Jinning, Professor Liang is a newly hired teacher at our school, starting her first day today. She is the one who will be heading the Foreign Languages Department you’re going to. She was among the first batch of overseas talents and is considered a national asset. Now, Professor Liang will test you. Are you willing?” Jiang Wenxu asked Xu Jinning.
Xu Jinning looked at the graceful, elegant teacher in her qipao.
She nodded.
“Alright, then you can start,” Jiang Wenxu said quickly, as he needed to hurry and jot down the information from earlier, lest he forget or misremember.
As Jiang Wenxu frantically took notes, Professor Liang began her evaluation of Xu Jinning.
“Xu Jinning, may I ask how many languages you can speak? Which ones are they?” Professor Liang began directly in English.
“Of course,” Xu Jinning responded in English. Her standard British accent was clear and pleasant, causing Professor Liang’s eyes to light up immediately.
Professor Liang then proceeded to ask Xu Jinning questions in various languages, switching seamlessly between them. Whatever language Professor Liang used, Xu Jinning responded in the same language without any hesitation.
As the questioning continued, Professor Liang’s eyes grew increasingly bright, her smile widening, and her gaze toward Xu Jinning seemed almost reverent.
Moreover, she quoted passages from academic journals and famous scientific magazines, asking Xu Jinning to translate them into Chinese, or spoke in Chinese, asking for translations into other languages.
Xu Jinning translated everything on the spot, her translations even surpassing Professor Liang’s expectations.
Some translations were so flawless that Professor Liang felt they were better than she could have achieved herself.
At this stage, the test had already confirmed Xu Jinning’s abilities. However, Professor Liang couldn’t help but continue testing her, captivated by meeting someone with such extensive language skills.
……
When Jiang Wenxu finally finished taking notes and came back to his senses, he heard two pleasant voices speaking in foreign languages.
Although he couldn’t understand what was being said, the conversation sounded very enjoyable.
One of the voices was so fluent that one might have thought it belonged to a native speaker.
When Jiang Wenxu turned his head to look, he was surprised to find that the voice with the most authentic foreign accent belonged to Xu Jinning.
Jiang Wenxu tried hard to understand what they were saying, but he couldn’t. While he could grasp English, he didn’t understand other foreign languages. Despite this, the two voices were so pleasant that he found himself absorbed in the conversation.
In the end, if the class bell hadn’t rung, the three of them might have continued their engaging exchange.
Initially, Xu Jinning had been tested, but by the end, she found it quite enjoyable to communicate with the gentle Professor Liang.
So, without anyone calling it to a stop, time passed unnoticed.
“Professor Liang, let’s stop here,” Jiang Wenxu said, as the class bell rang and Professor Liang was still not pausing.
A hint of regret crossed Professor Liang’s eyes at the interruption, but then she seemed to remember something, and her eyes brightened again.
“Professor Liang, what do you think of Xu Jinning’s language skills and translations? Does she still need to study abroad?” Although Jiang Wenxu knew that asking this question might be redundant, given Professor Liang’s expressions and the smooth, confident exchanges between Xu Jinning and Professor Liang, he felt he should still ask.
“President, do you really need to ask me that?” Professor Liang said with a wry smile.
“President, Xu Jinning is a language genius. Her language skills are almost on par with mine as a teacher. You heard the conversations; there were no issues at all.”
“I even think that Xu Jinning doesn’t need to take classes at the Foreign Languages Department anymore. She could directly participate in graduation exams, receive a certification, or even stay on as a teacher at the school.”
Just after finishing her statement, she immediately shook her head.
“No, President Jiang, I believe Xu Jinning should start working right away. I suggest she join the National Translation Department; her current skills are more than sufficient for the role.”
“I can have my husband, Old Zhang, arrange it.”
Professor Liang’s husband was a leader at the National Translation Department. Recently, he had been expressing his frustrations to her, mentioning that there were too few promising young talents and that they were in desperate need of people. He had asked if she could recommend anyone.
Professor Liang had to shake her head at the time, having not yet encountered a suitable candidate.
In fact, one of the reasons she came to Beijing University to head the Foreign Languages Department was to scout for talent.
To her surprise, on her very first day, before even starting her classes, she had found an exceptional candidate.
And the best part was, this candidate required no training and could immediately join the National Translation Department.
Professor Liang was confident her husband would be highly satisfied.
At first, Jiang Wenxu was fine with Professor Liang’s earlier comments, but when he heard the last part, his eyes widened in shock. He quickly said, “Professor Liang, you can’t just poach our talent like that. This is a top student from Beijing University, admitted as the top scorer in the entrance exams.”
Professor Liang was not surprised by Jiang Wenxu’s reaction, having just experienced Xu Jinning’s capabilities firsthand.
“President Jiang, I’m not trying to poach from you. This student is bound to enter the workforce sooner or later. If she’s capable, it’s better for her to start working earlier.”
“I’m speaking from the heart. With Xu Jinning’s abilities, staying as a student for a few more years would be a waste of time. It’s not worth it,” Professor Liang earnestly advised.
