At 7:30 in the morning, the midsummer sun was already blazing with scorching heat, wantonly splashing over the steel jungle of the city. Lin Wei stood at the busiest intersection in the city center, looking up at the towering building in front of her—the business department building of the Jiangzhou branch of Huaxin Bank. The more than 30-story glass curtain wall reflected a cold and dazzling light in the sun, like a huge, angular blue crystal, revealing an unquestionable sense of authority and distance. The huge bank logo on the roof, with a golden shield surrounding an ancient coin pattern symbolizing currency circulation, shone brightly under the clear blue sky, silently announcing its status as a financial hub.
Taking a deep breath, the air was mixed with the choking smell of car exhaust and the smell of wilted grass from the trees on the roadside. Lin Wei subconsciously smoothed the hem of her brand new, expensive navy blue professional suit - this was the "battle suit" that her mother had to go to three shopping malls with her to finalize, symbolizing the transformation from campus to the workplace. The collar of the silk shirt was stiff, making her neck slightly tight, and the pair of half-heeled black leather shoes on her feet were far less comfortable than the sneakers she usually wore, reminding her of her change of identity with every step. She clenched the off-white canvas bag in her hand that contained all the necessary documents for joining the company, and her knuckles turned white due to the force.The acceptance letter in her bag, printed with the gold-plated logo of Huaxin Bank, was heavy at the moment, carrying the halo of her master's degree in finance from a prestigious university, her parents' earnest expectations, her own infinite longing for the future and a hint of unspeakable uneasiness.
"This is the starting point of my career." She muttered to herself, trying to dispel the inexplicable fear in her heart. Around her were people rushing around, men in suits and women with exquisite makeup, each of them walking briskly and with clear goals, as if being pushed by invisible gears, and merging into the huge entrance of the building. The revolving door was like a never-ending vortex, silently swallowing up these "worker ants" in the financial world.
The lobby is three stories high and so spacious that even talking can cause a slight echo. The shiny black marble floor reflects the huge crystal chandelier and pedestrians above, so clearly that people dare not walk with big steps, for fear of leaving indecent footprints. Facing the door is a grand open consultation and guidance area, where several lobby managers wearing uniform uniforms and meticulously made-up are smiling and welcoming customers. Their voices are not loud, but clear and pleasant, with a well-trained affinity. The air is filled with a unique smell mixed with paper, new money (although it is unlikely to smell, but it feels psychological), leather and high-end fragrances. Lin Wei privately calls it the "bank smell" - a cold breath mixed with money, order and a sense of distance.
She looked around: on the left was the self-service area with more than a dozen deposit and withdrawal machines and intelligent teller machines neatly arranged, with several customers operating them, the light from the screen reflected on their focused or slightly anxious faces; on the right was the VIP financial center, with the dark solid wood door tightly closed, a receptionist in a more sophisticated uniform standing at the door, the area marked with the eye-catching words "Private Banking", revealing a low-key luxury and exclusivity; in the deepest part in front was the **cash counter area** separated by heavy bulletproof glass. Through the glass, you can see rows of tellers in uniform uniforms, wearing collar flowers or ties, sitting upright, in front of them are complex operating terminals, money counting machines and tall banknote barriers.They move quickly and attentively, occasionally looking up to communicate with customers outside the glass, with a standard, slightly formulaic smile on their faces. There is a small window on the glass, and the microphone transmits unclear fragments of conversation: "...Please enter the password...", "...Please check the signature...", "...Your business has been completed, please keep your certificate..." A sense of efficient and alienated order comes to the face.
Lin Wei followed the instructions on the onboarding email and walked to an inconspicuous side door on the right side of the lobby, where a sign "Employee Passage" was hung. There was a visitor registration desk at the door, and behind it sat a middle-aged uncle with a serious expression and wearing a security uniform.
"Hello, I am a new employee who is reporting today, Lin Wei." Lin Wei tried to make her voice sound clear and stable, and handed over her ID card and employment notice.
The security uncle raised his eyelids, and his sharp eyes scanned back and forth between her face and ID for a few seconds, and then lowered his head to carefully check something in a thick registration book. In these few short seconds, Lin Wei felt her palms begin to sweat slightly again. Finally, the security uncle nodded, wrote a few words on the registration book, and handed her a temporary visitor card and a metal badge with a number printed on it: "Temporary card, swipe the card to enter the gate. Go to the Human Resources Department on the third floor to report first and get a formal work badge. Pin the badge in a conspicuous place for easy identification."
"Okay, thank you." Lin Wei took the card and badge and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The cold metal touch on the badge made her feel more realistically that she had indeed become a member of this place.
The gate rotates in one direction, and a crisp "beep" sound is emitted when the card is swiped. The moment she crossed the gate, Lin Wei felt like she had officially stepped into a tightly controlled fortress. The employee passage is not as luxurious as the lobby, and it looks simple and practical. The walls are off-white, the floor tiles are gray, and there are various rules and regulations, safety tips and inspirational slogans on the walls - "Compliance operation, stable operation", "Service first, customer satisfaction", "Safety is no small matter, responsibility is heavier than a mountain". The smell of disinfectant in the air is stronger. There were several colleagues waiting in the elevator, both men and women, most of them wearing formal business suits, looking tired or numb, talking about work in a low voice:
"…Yesterday's loan materials were rejected by the risk control again, saying that the guarantor's qualifications were not good enough, a headache…"
"…It's the end of the month, and there is still a long way to go before the deposit task is completed. President Zhang is going to get angry again…"
"…There are a lot of bugs in the new system, and the operation is so slow. Customers are impatient and have filed several complaints…"
Lin Wei stood quietly in the corner, listening to these fragmented information, which are the real workplaces she is about to face. The elevator came, and everyone entered in a line. Silence filled the small space. The elevator stopped on the third floor, and Lin Wei followed the crowd out. Following the instructions on the sign, she found the doorplate of the "Human Resources Department".
The Human Resources Department is a large open office area divided into several small areas. Several HRs sat by the window, busy making phone calls or typing on the keyboard. The air was filled with the smell of paper, printer toner and coffee. Lin Wei walked to the counter marked "Job Processing", where a female HR in her thirties sat, with delicate makeup, a professional smile but a slightly distant look in her eyes.
"Hello, I'm Lin Wei, a new employee reporting today." Lin Wei introduced herself again and handed over the information.
The HR took the information, quickly glanced through it, and smiled in a standard way: "Oh, Lin Wei, Master of Finance, welcome to join Huaxin. Wait a minute, I'll help you with the formalities." Her fingers tapped quickly on the keyboard, making dense clicks.
The next step is the tedious and lengthy onboarding process:
1. **Information verification and entry:** HR carefully checked Lin Wei's ID card, academic degree certificate, originals and copies of various qualification certificates, and entered her detailed information into the system. Every field must be accurate, and Lin Wei felt like a carefully examined commodity.
2. **Signing a "sale contract":** A thick stack of labor contracts, confidentiality agreements, and non-competition agreements were pushed in front of Lin Wei. HR explained the key terms at a rapid pace: six-month probation period, salary structure (basic salary + performance + benefits), working hours (nominally 9 to 5, but "depending on work needs"), confidentiality obligations, liability for breach of contract... Lin Wei tried to concentrate on understanding each clause and solemnly signed her name where it was required. The moment she put pen to paper, she felt a sense of being bound by the system.
3. **Get "equipment":** HR took out a brown paper bag with Huaxin logo from the cabinet behind him and handed it to Lin Wei: "This is your work uniform voucher. Go to the General Affairs Department to get two sets of bank uniforms. There are also your meal card and access card (the official work badge needs to be photographed and produced, and you can get it in two days). This is the internal address book with the extension numbers of each department. Oh, yes, the most important thing-" HR handed over another booklet thicker than a brick, with a dark blue cover with a gold-stamped title: "Huaxin Bank Jiangzhou Branch Employee Handbook (Latest Edition)". "This must be read carefully and memorized. All behavioral norms, operating procedures, and reward and punishment systems are in it. They will be tested in the exam." Lin Wei took the heavy manual with both hands, feeling like she had taken over the entire bank's rule system. She opened the title page and saw a densely packed catalog: Code of Professional Ethics, Employee Code of Conduct, Attendance Management System, Salary and Benefit Management Methods, Confidentiality Management Regulations, Security System, Counter Business Operation Specifications, Anti-Money Laundering Operation Procedures, Customer Service Standards, Complaint Handling Process, Risk Point Prevention and Control Guidelines... There are countless subsections under each chapter. The catalog alone made her feel suffocated. This is not just a manual, but more like a set of operating instructions for a precision machine.
4. **"A show of strength" and a sense of belonging:** HR finally took out a piece of paper: "This is your department assignment notice. Lin Wei, you are assigned to the business department, the specific position is teller (personal), your direct superior is Wang Lina, the operations director. Her office is on the second floor of the operations management department. You pack up and go directly to the second floor to find her to report." HR's tone was official, "Teller is the most basic and important position in our bank. It is the window directly facing customers and has a heavy responsibility. Work hard and start from the grassroots to understand the foundation of the bank." She paused and added, "By the way, welcome to join the Huaxin family." This "big family" sounded formulaic and lacked warmth.
Lin Wei's heart "stomped". Teller? Although she had been mentally prepared that newcomers would rotate from the grassroots, the position of being assigned to sit behind bulletproof glass and count money and handle business day after day was still a big gap from her imagination of using financial knowledge to analyze the market, design products, and serve high-end customers. A subtle disappointment passed through her heart, but she quickly suppressed it. She reminded herself: A tall building starts from the ground.
Holding a heavy paper bag (containing workwear coupons, manuals, meal cards, address books, etc.) and the brick-like employee manual, Lin Wei swiped her card to enter the gate again and took the employee elevator down to the second floor. The atmosphere on the second floor was obviously more tense and busier than the third floor. People came and went in the corridor, and the phone rang one after another, mixed with the sound of loud business communications and printers and money counters. The air seemed to be more solemn. She found the doorplate of the "Operation Management Department", took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.
"Come in." A calm and slightly stern female voice came.
Lin Wei pushed the door open. The Operation Management Department is also an open office area, but it seems more crowded and messy than the HR department. The filing cabinets are filled with various vouchers and reports, and the desks are piled high with subpoenas and documents to be processed. Several employees are working hard. The innermost window is an independent glass compartment with a sign on the door that reads "Operation Manager: Wang Lina".
Lin Wei walked to the compartment door and knocked again.
"Come in." The voice inside came clearly.
Lin Wei pushed the door open and went in. A woman in her forties sat behind the desk. She had short hair that reached her ears, which was meticulously combed, revealing a smooth forehead. She wore a pair of frameless glasses on her face, and her eyes behind the lenses were as sharp as an eagle, as if they could penetrate people's hearts. She wore a fitted dark gray suit, a white shirt that was ironed without a wrinkle, and a small and exquisite silver collar flower on her collar. She exuded a capable, rigorous, and intimidating aura. She was lowering her head and quickly signing something on a document, wearing a simple but valuable watch on her wrist. The desk was unusually tidy. Apart from a computer, a phone, a pen holder, and a few documents being processed, there were almost no extra items. Everything was in order, revealing a strong sense of control.
"Hello, Director Wang, I am Lin Wei, a new employee who came to report today, and I am assigned to be a teller here." Lin Wei stood straight and tried to keep her voice steady.
Wang Lina raised her head and scanned Lin Wei like a searchlight, from her meticulously tied hair, to her brand new suit, to the leather shoes on her feet, and finally stopped at her young face that still had a bit of student spirit. There was no welcome in that look, only scrutiny and evaluation.
"Lin Wei?" She picked up a list on the table and checked it, her voice without any ups and downs, "I know. Sit down." She pointed to the chair opposite the desk with a pen.
Lin Wei sat down carefully, only sitting on the front half of the chair, with her back straight, her hands placed on her knees in a proper manner, and the paper bag and manual in her arms held tighter.
Wang Lina put down her pen, leaned forward slightly, crossed her hands on the table, and looked directly at Lin Wei: "Welcome to join the operations department. The teller position is the cornerstone of bank operations and the first line of defense for risk prevention and control. The employee handbook in front of you," she glanced at the blue brick in Lin Wei's arms, "especially the parts about counter operations, risk points, service standards and anti-money laundering, is your Bible. You must read it thoroughly within three days. I will test you next week. If you fail, your regularization evaluation will be affected. Do you understand?"
Her speech speed was not fast, but every word was like a small hammer hitting the heart, with unquestionable weight.
"Understood, Director Wang. I will study hard." Lin Wei nodded quickly.
"Yes." Wang Lina took out a few forms from the drawer, "Fill in these information forms, emergency contacts, bank card numbers, etc. In addition, this is your teller number: **A07**." She handed Lin Wei a small card with a number printed on it and a magnetic name tag with the same number printed on it. "This name tag must be worn in a prominent position on the left chest every day when you go to work. A07 is your code name here. Customers and internal systems identify you first through this number. Remember it, it represents your responsibility."
"A07..." Lin Wei took the card and name tag, and felt cold. From an individual with a name, she instantly became a code name. This change of identity made her feel a little strange.
"The work of a teller may seem simple and repetitive, but in fact it is a heavy responsibility and cannot tolerate any mistakes." Wang Lina's voice was still cold, "Every deposit and withdrawal, every bill, and every identity check is related to the customer's financial security, the bank's reputation, and may even touch the legal red line. Operational errors, overpayments, counterfeit banknotes, illegal operations... Any omissions will result in fines, criticism, and even job losses, or even legal liability. Don't think that you are different because you have a master's degree. Here, everything starts from scratch, and performance and zero errors speak for themselves. Do you understand?" Her eyes were sharp, as if she was giving Lin Wei a shot in advance.
"Understood, Manager Wang. I will be careful and attentive." Lin Wei felt the invisible pressure like a boulder pressing down on her, and her palms began to sweat again.
"Okay." Wang Lina seemed to be satisfied with her attitude, and her tone was slightly softened. "Today is the first day. You go to the General Affairs Department to get the bank uniforms, and then go to your counter to familiarize yourself with the environment. Your master Sister Chen is on a rotation today and will not start work until tomorrow. I will let Xiao Li take you around and introduce the basic facilities and colleagues later." She picked up the internal phone and dialed a number: "Xiao Li, come to my office."
Soon, a male colleague in his twenties who looked more easy-going knocked on the door and came in: "Manager Wang."
"Xiao Li, this is the new teller Lin Wei, number A07. Take her to the General Affairs Department to get the clothes, and then go to the cash area counter A07 to familiarize herself with the environment. By the way, take her to recognize people and talk about the basic rules." Wang Lina instructed.
"Okay, Manager Wang." Xiao Li responded, turned to Lin Wei, and showed a friendly smile: "Hello, Lin Wei, my name is Li Bin, just call me Xiao Li. Follow me."
Lin Wei was as if she had been pardoned, and quickly stood up and bowed slightly to Wang Lina: "Thank you, Manager Wang."
Wang Lina just nodded, her eyes had returned to the documents on the table, as if Lin Wei had completed her handover process here.
After following Li Bin out of the manager's office, Lin Wei felt that the tension in her back was slightly relaxed. Li Bin was a very outgoing person. He introduced enthusiastically as they walked: "Don't be nervous. Manager Wang is not a bad person, but she is very strict and can't tolerate any sand in her eyes. We all call her the 'Iron Lady' in private. But you can learn real things from her, learn the rules well, and make fewer mistakes and suffer less losses in the future. Our operations department is the busiest and most stressful department in the entire branch. We deal with money every day, so we have to be nervous..." They first went to the General Affairs Department to get two sets of standard women's bank uniforms: a navy blue suit jacket, a one-step skirt in the same color, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a collar. The fabric is thick, the style is conservative, and there is no sense of fashion. After putting it on, it is estimated that it will be no different from the figures seen at the counter just now. Lin Wei touched the cold and stiff fabric, imagining how she would look in it, and an indescribable taste surged in her heart - an initial feeling of being disciplined and standardized. Then, Li Bin took her through the internal passage and entered the inner area of the cash area tightly wrapped by bulletproof glass again. After passing through a heavy double-entry gate that requires a card and password, the scene inside is different from the glamorous outside. The space is divided into narrow passages, and behind each teller is a relatively independent but extremely compact operating space. Each operating room is equipped with: a multi-screen terminal computer, a high-speed printer, a money counting machine (some are also equipped with a sorting machine), a large lockable cash box, a drawer cabinet full of various blank vouchers and seals, a call device with a microphone to connect to the customers outside, and a surveillance camera covering the top of the head without dead ends. The floor is a wear-resistant plastic floor, and the air is mixed with the smell of ink from new banknotes, the smell of ozone from printers, and a faint smell of sweat.
The environment is noisy and busy:
* The "swish swish" sound of the money counting machine is heard one after another, and the rhythm is so fast that it makes people's heartbeats accelerate.
* The printer "squeaks" and spits out documents like water.
* The voices of the tellers speaking into the microphone were either clear or vague: "Auntie, your deposit certificate has not yet expired. If you withdraw it in advance, you will lose a lot of interest. Are you sure you want to withdraw it?", "Sir, you have transferred more than 50,000 yuan, and you need to show your original ID card...", "Please sign here, yes, in the lower right corner...", "Please keep your cash and receipt, and take care!"
* The back-end authorization supervisor quickly shuttled between the counters with a mobile authorization terminal, and the "beep" sound of fingerprint verification sounded from time to time.
* Someone shouted on the intercom: "A03, you need the supervisor's authorization for this business, hurry up!", "The payment car is coming soon, and those in Area B should reconcile the accounts!"
Li Bin took Lin Wei to a counter with the label "A07". The position was in the middle, not big, but fully equipped. The desktop had been cleaned up, leaving only the terminal, the money counter and basic stationery.
"Here, this is your future battlefield." Li Bin patted the counter table. "Don't underestimate the small place. The amount of cash and business handled in a day will scare you. Tomorrow, your master Sister Chen will come and teach you the operation in detail. Today, you should familiarize yourself with the environment and read the employee manual, especially the operation process. Remember a few key points: **Money, certificates, and seals**, these three are your lifeblood! Money must be counted before leaving your hands, the elements of the voucher must be complete, and the use of the seal must be registered and authorized. In addition, there is no blind spot under the camera, and every move is being watched."
Li Bin also took Lin Wei to meet several nearby colleagues. Everyone reacted differently to the arrival of the newcomers: some looked up and showed a tired but friendly smile; some just nodd