In 1983, at the age of 42, I was unemployed and went for an interview at a fresh produce supermarket for a part-time job. There was no idle chatter, no time to scroll through my phone—everyone at this fresh produce supermarket was rushing around! My part-time job interview exposed the harsh realities of survival at the bottom of society.

This part-time job was recommended by a friend. She works as a picker at an online fresh food supermarket and also has a full-time job. She has been working part-time here after work and on weekends for five years. After dinner, around 7 o'clock, she took me to the fresh food supermarket to meet the store manager for an interview. In the evening in Shenzhen, the streets were packed with electric scooters. We rode our scooters through the traffic, stopping and starting, but it didn’t take long to arrive. After all, the distance wasn’t far—it would take about twenty minutes to walk, but only a few minutes by electric scooter. When we arrived at the store, we were told that the store manager had gone out to eat and we’d have to wait a bit. My friend went ahead to clock in for work, while I sat nearby waiting. Sitting there was pretty boring, so I started observing. I noticed that every fresh produce delivery person was holding a phone in one hand to verify orders, carrying items in the other, and hurrying out the door. The store staff were each busy with their tasks, working efficiently yet orderly. The most striking impression from the observation was: everyone here was so busy they barely had time to stand still, almost running around.

No one had time to chat, let alone play with their phones. Everyone was holding a device, either scanning codes, checking items, labelling, or packing bags… After waiting for about ten minutes, my friend suddenly walked over quickly, pulled me aside, and introduced me to a stylishly dressed, handsome-looking girl: “This is my friend. He’s here for an interview for a part-time position. Thanks for your help.” Only then did I realise she was the store manager. The manager asked me a few questions, then had me scan a code to fill out an employment form and provide my bank card information. I had chosen the part-time store clerk position. After completing the form, she added me on WeChat Work, added me to the work group, and sent me a learning link. The content mainly covered work-related safety knowledge: for example, when arranging or moving items from high shelves, what type of ladder to use and the necessity of wearing a safety helmet; as well as the proper use of manual and electric forklifts, and so on. The store manager said that after completing the training, I would need to take an online exam, and only after passing it would I be scheduled to work. Since I was interviewing for a part-time position, she specifically asked me what time slots I could work.

I said I hoped to schedule it for the afternoon, and she agreed immediately. She then asked me to scan my face at the attendance machine to record my information. The store manager took me on a tour of the store, explaining as we walked: the warehouse is divided into three categories: ambient temperature storage, fresh produce storage, and frozen storage. She specifically reminded me that I needed to wear a cotton coat to enter the frozen storage area. With that, she led me towards the frozen storage area. As soon as we opened the door, a blast of cold air hit us, and I instinctively shivered. Following her inside, I felt the heat leave my body instantly, with the cold creeping up from my feet. My bare hands were freezing. This wasn’t a warehouse; it felt like we’d suddenly stepped into the middle of winter outdoors, with even the sweat on my body cooling instantly. After completing all the procedures, the store manager told me to keep an eye on the online schedule. When it’s my turn, I just need to come in and clock in. If I want to adjust the time later, I can just let the team leader know. The interview ended smoothly. As for when I can officially start work, I just need to check the schedule on the company WeChat app on my phone. I’ll continue to share more updates. Thank you to all my followers for your support.