King of Capital

Resume: Zou Jingyi

Educational background: Bachelor’s degree from London School of Economics, majoring in mathematics and statistics, GPA 3.9/4.0; Master’s degree from Oxford University Business School, majoring in financial markets and investments.

Work experience: HSBC, investment banking M&A intern; Credit Suisse, private equity intern…

"Baby, relax and stop reciting. You're making me so nervous that I'm about to crash the car!" The mother, who looks like a lady, speaks in standard Hong Kong Mandarin accent.

While holding the steering wheel of the BMW, she complained about the driver who forced his way into the same lane outside the car window. The morning rush hour in Lujiazui in Shanghai is no less than that in Central, Hong Kong Island. She hasn't been on such a road for many years. What a shame.

Zou Jingyi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, scolded: "I was studying well in the UK by myself, but you were so eager to work in China that it seemed like I was accompanying you."

"You have no conscience. Your mother accompanied you in your first year in the UK. This time of job hunting is the second important turning point in your life, so of course I have to accompany you."

The rich mother was quite well-planned and made long-term plans: "You have been busy with interviews these days, and I have learned about the housing prices in Shanghai. When you get a job, I will use the purchase quota of your father's company to buy a house."

"If you stay in Shanghai and settle down, the house will be transferred to your name. If you want to return to Shenzhen or Hong Kong Island, it will be easy to sell."

Zou Jingyi pinched the resume in her hand and replied "OK" in a low voice.

I graduated at the end of December last year. As an only child of Hong Kong and Shenzhen descent, I did not have much room to hesitate between staying in Europe and the United States and returning to China.

The domestic development is getting better and better. Those people with insufficient family conditions are working hard abroad. You would be a fool if you don’t return to China to take advantage of your own advantages. The financial industry requires the ability to leverage resources - that’s what my mother said.

However, the resumes of returnees from prestigious universities seemed to have depreciated, and her father's connections and financial resources were also unable to match the job opportunities she wanted.

I almost got through the interview with HSBC Hong Kong Island Asset Management subsidiary, failed in three seconds during the interview with CICC Hong Kong Island Asset Management department, and received no response from Goldman Sachs Hong Kong Island Private Equity department.

From the beginning of the recruitment season in February to the beginning of March now, the difficulty of competition for job opportunities has gradually decreased among mid-range US dollar buyers, top RMB buyers, and top foreign sellers.

In fact, Zou Jingyi felt that the interview at Goldman Sachs should be no problem, but this was completely a backup option, and she felt a little sorry for herself if she really went.

So she gritted her teeth and decided to head north to Shanghai. Her grandfather, her maternal grandfather's entire family, and herself, all joined in, trying to find a few internal referral interview opportunities.

I definitely need a buyer job, even a RMB buyer will do!
After a few days of interviews with both good and bad results, Zou Jingyi felt a lot of pressure on whether she could gain a foothold in Shanghai.

"That's enough. Just keep a normal attitude. If this one doesn't work out, there's always another one. At worst, there are banks and securities firms like CITIC. My daughter is very popular."

Following the navigation instructions, we arrived at the destination, and the wealthy mother cheered herself up with an optimistic attitude.

"..."

Zou Jingyi was speechless. The first half of the sentence was pleasing to the ear, but the second half was unnecessary. At the very worst, she would not end up like a Chinese sell-side institution.

I pushed the door open, got out of the car, straightened my clothes, and walked into the walled courtyard with a private entrance. I showed the security guard the interview notice and was allowed to pass.

Jingxing Investment Group, Xiyou (Magic City) Asset Management Company, Luzhou Xinhai Industry Guidance Fund.

There are three nameplates arranged in a row, and two five-story office buildings stand opposite each other. Zou Jingyi goes to the one on the right, which is a top dual-currency venture capital firm that has gained a great reputation in recent years: Grapefruit Capital.

"Hey, Mr. Luo, long time no see. Is this your child? He looks handsome."

"He just came back from the United States and his personality is a bit outgoing. Please don't be shy to test him strictly."

"Don't worry, the interviewer will treat everyone equally. I'll take you upstairs to have a cup of tea and report on your recent work."

The Maybach drove straight into the yard. A small leader who seemed to be from the investor relations department came forward to greet them from a distance. A father and son got out of the car, chatting and laughing.

Zou Jingyi stepped half a foot into the main entrance of the office building, and her heart immediately sank when she saw such a scene.

It's a top-tier institution after all. They don't even pretend to be such a big sponsor but are openly licking the big financial clients. It's hard to live up to their reputation. It doesn't matter if they failed the interview.

"Hello, are you here for an interview with the venture capital department?"

Zou Jingyi was secretly complaining when the sponsor's child watched his father go upstairs, turned around and came over to greet him in a friendly manner.

His hair is waxed and his facial features are regular. His suit looks like a double-door refrigerator, and he looks really good.

Zou Jingyi looked at him briefly and replied softly, "Yes, an intern position in the venture capital department."

"Then we are the same, we have many competitors."

The sponsor's kid was very tactful. He ended the conversation by smiling and shrugged his shoulders, then went to socialize with other interviewees.

Top buyers are also divided into different levels. When it comes to job prospects, hedge funds such as Bridgewater are at the top of the pyramid, followed by private equity firms such as Temasek, and then venture capital firms such as Grapefruit.

But in terms of the intensity of competition, the latter two are more competitive.

Hedge funds can also use high-frequency small transactions to form a systematic employee training system. Equity and venture capital investments are made every three to two months, with a minimum investment of several million, and then it takes several years to verify whether they are right or wrong.

So basically, there is one job for one person, which is equivalent to requiring applicants to have five years of work experience since birth.

Xiyou was established not long ago and is very top-notch, so it has the ability and willingness to open its doors to recent graduates, so the competition is naturally extremely fierce.

"I heard there are only ten vacancies available."

The sponsor's kid came back from wandering around, telling gossip in a low voice.

Idiot! Zou Jingyi thought to herself that this guy probably never had an internship during college, so ten places are not enough.

She observed the many competitors in the waiting area, smoothed her hair and said, "Everyone who came to the interview must be mentally prepared to fail."

"That's right. Actually, receiving an interview notification from Xiyou is considered a success. If you perform well during the interview, you may be recommended to a sister platform."

The sponsor pretended to pause, and finally got a pair of bright eyes like a deer to look at him straight in the eye, and continued: "Jingxing Investment Group, Jichun Bank, and even Taihe Capital are not impossible."

"I heard that Taihe doesn't even have any vacancies for social recruitment?" Zou Jingyi blinked with curiosity.

"Taihe is a special case, as it is very rich. Its salaries are comparable to those of US dollar hedge funds, and VPs receive incentive dividends and receive annual salaries close to one million US dollars. Recruiting people is entirely dependent on headhunters and internal referrals, and even those with strong connections have to wait in line for recruitment spots."

The sponsor kid just said it in one sentence, emphasizing the key point: "Jingxing Investment Group and Jichun Bank are both good brands, and they have just been established, so there is considerable room for career growth!"

"You know a lot." Zou Jingyi's face was full of admiration.

The sponsor's child smiled with satisfaction: "Jichun Bank is engaged in venture capital and industrial chain finance. Its headquarters is in the Northeast. I don't know the specific situation. I am quite familiar with Jingxing Investment Group. It is the major shareholder of the circulating shares of my listed company."

"So the main business is the securities market?" Zou Jingyi ignored the key point. "Private equity investment, securities investment, fixed income, quantitative everything."

The sponsor's kid gave a brief explanation without giving details, and then got back to the point: "My dad and Xie Jingxing have a pleasant cooperation and he approves of him. He is planning to invest 100 million in Grapefruit Capital. Today, he came here to discuss this matter and to interview me."

"Which university are you from?"

Your father is so bold that he dares to let an institution that accepts fools like you help him manage his money. Zou Jingyi is half envious and half sad.

The sponsor's kid raised his eyebrows: "Xie Jingxing and I are schoolmates."

"Which college are you from?" A man with glasses and a charming voice interrupted from the side.

The sponsor's child was stunned: "...I grew up in Australia with my mother, and went to the United States for graduate school."

"Oh, my ex-girlfriend went to Columbia University SEAS as an exchange student. I thought you two knew each other."

The man with glasses was tall and thin like a stick. His words were very hurtful and he seemed to have no emotional intelligence at all.

Zou Jingyi tried to smooth things over and took over the conversation with a smile: "May I ask which martial arts school this student is from?"

"I studied undergraduate at Peking University and then went to MIT. The circle in the field of basic mathematics is relatively small. Do you have any classmates or alumni who know each other?" The man with glasses hit the target again.

With a bachelor's degree from Peking University and a master's degree from MIT, isn't it interesting that you don't prove the Hodge conjecture but come here to look down on migrant workers in the financial sector?

On the left is a kryptonian who has recharged hundreds of millions of personal connections and maxed out his network of resources, and on the right is a god who soars into the clouds on the basis of mathematics.

Zou Jingyi felt like the sky was falling. Even though she was mentally prepared, no one told her before she came here that she would have to compete with a strange species. There was no normal person around.

The sponsor's kid forced a smile and said, "A master's degree from MIT is of great value. It's from a top martial arts school, and the boss is awesome."

"I have a PhD, and if I just want to find a job, a master's degree doesn't mean much." The man with glasses sounded a little helpless.

The sponsor's child was devastated and fell into silence. The administrative staff appeared at the right time and called him for an interview.

The pressure suddenly came, Zou Jingyi took a deep breath, took out her resume from her bag and started preparing for the battle.

"I came here to interview for a quantitative trading position. I had already received an offer from Morgan Stanley. My senior told me that Grapefruit's quantitative trading can be ranked among the top three in China and there is hope to catch up with the top peers on Wall Street, so I came back." The man with glasses suddenly spoke inexplicably.

Should I praise you for having ideals? Zou Jingyi's thoughts were interrupted, but fortunately she was free from the pressure of competition.

The man with glasses adjusted the temples of his glasses and asked directly, "Can I have your contact information?"

"Okay." Zou Jingyi agreed reluctantly after hesitation.

The man with glasses showed the WeChat QR code first, thought for a moment and reminded, "Don't listen to the nonsense that guy just said. The entire Grapefruit Capital is adjusting its organizational structure. Except for Jichun Bank, which is not worth it, the other business lines are no different. You have to pass the interview first and then come in."

"Really? I'm not sure. Thank you."

The man with glasses felt soft-hearted and revealed the secret: "Xie Jingxing is inside."

"?!"

Zou Jingyi sat up straight at once. If she didn't pretend, she would be really panicked. She had just left the Novice Village and encountered the number one player in the national rankings with a blank account.

As they were talking, the money sponsor's kid came back with his head hung. Within a few minutes, the man who spent money was killed swiftly, proving that what the man with glasses said was true.

Zou Jingyi barely managed to control her uneasiness, and with a heroic attitude, she slowly moved her feet, walked into the interview site, and closed the door behind her: "Hello, interviewers."

The room was set up as an ordinary conference room. She sat timidly outside the long conference table, facing the five interviewers inside alone.

Xie Jingxing was in the middle, buried in a thick stack of information. The HR director was conducting the interview, and partner Tang Man and the MDs of each group were beside him, taking turns to test and teach.

Zou Jingyi was confused for a moment, as the interview invitation clearly stated that it was for the Internet Innovation Group, which covered consumer, entertainment, and hard technology.

“Why should we recruit you to work at Grapefruit?”

He Chuan unconsciously switched to asking questions in Mandarin, indirectly announcing the end of the technical interview.

After all, for recent graduates who have returned from overseas, passing the professional English test is the foundation.

“Coming to interview at Grapefruit was one of the most important decisions in my life.”

Zou Jingyi pursed her dry lips and answered slowly: "Before answering this question directly, I would like to talk about two work experiences that are not included in my resume."

"Pay attention to the time." He Chuan said expressionlessly.

"When I was in primary school, the school organized a charity sale to raise funds for the SARS disaster in China. The teacher told me that the money would be donated to the foundation, and my classmates actively made handmade toys and sold them on the street."

Zou Jingyi gradually got into the groove and changed the subject: "But I first thought about how the foundation operated and who was responsible for managing the donations and deciding who to distribute them to. Later, during the summer vacation, I applied to be a volunteer at the foundation for two months and figured out these issues."

"My middle school classmates used Q coins to buy and sell toys. I didn't understand why everyone agreed to recognize its value. I took advantage of the summer vacation to intern at a financial newspaper. With the help of a senior reporter, I interviewed several economists to learn about currency."

Zou Jingyi paused for a few seconds and concluded sincerely: "I am curious about the essence of everything, and I have the self-motivation to explore the logic of business transactions and make judgments and decisions."

“The venture capital industry perfectly fits my ideals, and Grapefruit Capital is a very outstanding and young institution in this industry. Not only can I discover external business opportunities, but I can also grow with Grapefruit and find the future value of the platform itself.”

He Chuan couldn't help laughing and turned his head to look at Tang Man to confirm. This girl is quite interesting. Either she has a master guiding her, or she is just extremely lucky.

The young commander had just returned from Beijing and announced a strategic adjustment for the entire Grapefruit Group, so she gave an explanation of looking for internal value, which was exactly what she had come up with by accident.

"London School of Economics, Song Anli recommended you?" As expected, Xie Jingxing looked up with interest.

Zou Jingyi responded cautiously: "Senior An Li is my direct senior, and we are half from the same hometown. I took the initiative to ask her for advice on job hunting, and after listening to my ideas, she gave me this internal recommendation opportunity."

"Curiosity and a desire to explore are rare talents for investors, and Song Anli is like that. If she can recognize you, it means you are excellent."

Xie Jingxing picked up the resume in his hand: "Your resume is better than hers, but Grapefruit Capital has been established for three years and it is not the same as when she joined our team."

"If your vision only stays at the superficial level of curiosity and instinct, and you don't consciously pay attention to the changes in the market and grapefruit, I don't know how you can match the ideal you just talked about."

He gradually pressed on: "Do you know Grapefruit Capital?"

"In fact, I pay special attention to the development of Xiyou. Before coming here today, I was still learning about Didi's acquisition of Uber China. As far as I know, this project carries a lot of Xiyou's strategic ideas." Zou Jingyi was panicking and rushed into the muzzle. (End of this chapter)