The cleaning lady clutched her aching back as she settled into a chair. "Don't worry about me. Go on to your interview, or you'll miss your chance."Olivia Benson, who had shown kindness to the cleaning lady, felt a wave of despair wash over her as she stood at the back of the now-orderly line.Her selfless act had cost her a prime spot in the queue, diminishing her chances of securing the coveted job. She had waited patiently since morning, even skipping lunch.The thought of returning home empty-handed filled her with dread, knowing it would deeply disappoint her mother. Despite the setback, Olivia remained resolute, determined to seize any opportunity that might arise.Witnessing this scene, Frederick's anger surged.He marched toward the unruly crowd, his voice booming with authority as he shouted, "Out of my way! You think such behavior is acceptable for those seeking employment at the company?"The raucous crowd fell silent, quickly forming an orderly line. They mistook Fre
Just then, a confident interviewee approached, his thick glasses framing a face well-acquainted with the sales industry.He held his resume with a testament to years of experience.However, Frederick didn't bother to look at the resume. A single glance at the thick lenses was enough for him to dismiss the candidate."With glasses that thick, you must be at least 800 degrees nearsighted. Get out, we don't need you here."The confident interviewee felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. His years of work experience had been ignored, and he was judged solely by his glasses.Indignation rose within him as he retorted, "What gives you the right to discriminate against the nearsighted? Where in Salmasian's policy does it say we can't apply?"In an age where smartphones were ubiquitous, it was rare for adults not to be nearsighted. Many in the crowd wore glasses and were also taken aback by Frederick's words.Hearing the bespectacled man's protest, they rallied be
Olivia couldn't help but be taken aback by Frederick's straightforwardness; such bluntness was rare in an interview!Seeing Olivia's silence, Frederick pressed on, "Well? Can you?"Olivia looked at Frederick and cautiously shook her head. "I can't drink or dance. But I'm very hardworking, and I do need the job…"Her voice trailed off with a hint of desperation creeping in.Frederick heard the refusal in Olivia's words, but he couldn't bear to see her lose this opportunity. Suddenly, a chuckle escaped his lips.Olivia was bewildered by Frederick's laughter. Had she been rejected?Just then, the rhythmic sound of high heels echoed from outside.Frederick's instincts told him the real interviewer had arrived. He quickly leaped from his seat, positioning himself behind Olivia.He said in a low voice, "Stand up straight, "the interview is about to start." Olivia was dumbfounded. What did he mean that the interview was just starting? What had all that been, then?At that moment,
There was clearly something fishy going on!Being a director, Ivy wasn't easily fooled.The office was usually overflowing with candidates. How could there be only two left?She used the remote to lower the projector screen and took out her phone. Soon, the room's footage from noon appeared on the screen.Ivy fast-forwarded through the recording, the images flashing by.Frederick hadn't anticipated Ivy checking the surveillance!Soon, the footage showed the room teeming with people.Ivy's eyes narrowed as she recognized this was the normal turnout.So, where had they all gone?The footage continued and revealed Frederick seated in the interviewer's chair while his voice was clearly audible.Ivy shot a chilling glare at Frederick. So, this was his doing!Frederick's face flushed with embarrassment and he remained silent.Then, Ivy's eyes widened in horror. She saw Frederick drinking from her cup!And the worst part was she had just taken a sip from that very same cup. Wasn'
Frederick was desperate to salvage the situation and blurted out, "Resumes can be deceiving, and I'm a straightforward person. My skills and talents speak for themselves. There's no need for a fancy piece of paper."Ivy eyed him skeptically as she took in his disheveled appearance. If he possessed the skills he claimed, wouldn't he have made a better effort to present himself?A mischievous glint sparked in her eyes."Oh, so you're talented, huh? Let's see about that talent, and prepare to be tested."Reaching for her phone, Ivy fired off a quick message to her secretary."Grab a set of Advanced Mothian Language exams from the bookstore downstairs. Make it fast."Moments later, a stunning secretary in a sharp outfit entered. She then handed Ivy a fresh set of test papers."Here are the test papers, Ms. Mallin," she said with a hint of curiosity in her voice.While the request struck her as odd, her professionalism prevented further inquiry.Ivy snatched a sheet and handed it t
Ivy scrolled through the test, and her initial smirk evaporated with each correct answerFrederick aced it without a single mistake marring his perfect score. Olivia felt a cold dread creep in. Measured against Frederick's effortless display, her own Mothian skills suddenly felt woefully inadequate.Frederick scratched his head and asked casually. "How'd I do, Ms. Mallin?"His words pulled Ivy out of her shock.Frederick's relaxed and nonchalant posture fueled a flicker of annoyance. This man had waltzed through an exam designed to trip up even seasoned applicants, and now he lounged there with an air of breezing by.Internally, Ivy conceded a begrudging respect for his Mothian skills. Yet, her company wasn't searching for a master linguist. Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Your Mothian is… satisfactory. Let's move on to assessing your business acumen."Frederick's brow furrowed in surprise. He'd rushed in, drawn by the advertisement
A lightbulb went off in Frederick's head. "Ah, I see! You're not just asking me to look for an appreciation of the models, but a critique of the fashion itself!"Ivy's arched eyebrow shot up in disbelief. Was he thinking of critiquing the models' appearance? In his wildest dreams!"Cut to the chase, let's hear your thoughts on the fashion."The models exchanged a look of silent exasperation. Used to admiring glances and compliments, they shifted uncomfortably under Frederick's extended scrutiny.After a tense pause, Frederick finally asked with a smile, "May I ask who designed these garments?"Ivy was momentarily thrown off guard and gritted out, "Our in-house designer, of course. These are pre-launch samples, under consideration for mass production."Frederick shook his head helplessly and said, "The designer behind these models needs a serious course correction. If these go into production as-is, they'll be a financial loss to the company. Cut your losses and find a new design
Frederick's words struck a chord with everyone in the room.Even Olivia, who was fashionably clueless, recognized the validity of his point. The clothes were undeniably Dawnward-centric. The models themselves couldn't help but steal surprised glances at Frederick, impressed by the keen eye of this unassuming man.A sliver of doubt wormed its way into Ivy's steely resolve. Perhaps there was more to Frederick than his initial appearance suggested.After all, he'd demonstrably conquered the unexpected fashion assessment she'd thrown his way. To dismiss him now would be illogical.Ivy said with a grudging sigh, "You passed the interview. Welcome aboard. You may start tomorrow."A spark of hope ignited in Frederick's eyes. It was a new beginning for me. However, Ivy wasn't ready to let him off scot-free. While the fashion project remained on hold, she'd assign him a regular role, allowing him to polish his social etiquette.There was also the matter of a certain water cup incident
Mary's case was the most severe, while Ivan's symptoms were the mildest, and Frederick could roughly deduce the sequence of transmissions among them. It was clear that Mary infected Nigel, who then passed it to Kimberly, then finally passed it to Ivan. Frederick also saw that Ivan was actually a decent person who unfortunately ended up being betrayed and infected. However, Nigel was primarily worried that Ivan might start trusting Frederick, as he wanted Ivan to believe in his capabilities to carry out his plan.Originally, he intended for Mary to insult Frederick for being poor and unskilled, but she ended up attacking him for having an unpleasant odor, which backfired when Frederick exposed her for contracting syphilis. Now, Nigel had no choice but to take matters into his own hands, he then said to Frederick, "Hehe, Frederick. We all know Ivy is a director, what exactly do you do to be worthy of her?"Nigel assumed that Frederick was just a low-level salesperson, something
Hearing Frederick's words, Kimberly jumped with joy and stopped crying. While wiping her tears, she pointed at Mary, laughing and said, "You're covered in syphilis, yet you're making fun of me.""Slut, I wonder how many people you've slept with!" After being pointed and insulted, Mary was furious and she was ready to fight Kimberly. "You bitch! I am going to teach you a lesson!" At this moment, Nigel felt terrible. If Mary was diseased, he'd be the first victim. He grabbed Mary and shouted, "Bitch, let me teach you a lesson first. Now I know why you always wanted the lights off! I thought you were shy, but you just didn't want me to find out."In a fit of anger, Nigel slapped Mary hard across the face. Just as Mary was about to explain, she was interrupted by another slap. Holding her face, she yelled angrily, "Nigel, how dare you hit me?! Do you want me to expose all your little schemes and tricks?"Nigel froze in horror; if Mary exposed him, it would have been disastrous.
Kimberly heard her laughter, and body odor had always been a sensitive issue for her; a wound she'd tried to cover up over the years. For Frederick to bring it up in front of everyone felt like rubbing salt into an open wound. Yet what hurt even more was Mary's laughter; as a fellow woman, it felt like salt to the wound, then roasting it. Kimberly was furious, pointed at Mary and said, "What are you laughing at? Do you want me to come over there and shut you up?"Mary felt wronged, she had only let out a reflexive laugh, but now Kimberly's anger was directed at her. "Did I laugh at you? What proof do you have that I laughed at you?""You're the one with body odor, yet you're taking it out on others. You're such an unreasonable woman!"Kimberly grew even angrier after hearing Mary's retort. "You're the one with body odor, your whole family has it!" "Look at what you're wearing, it's like you just threw on two pillowcases. You're a shameless woman, just trying to show off t
When everyone heard Ivy's words, they laughed even more. Her words effectively confirmed that Frederick did indeed have an unpleasant odor. It wasn't entirely her fault as Kimberly's words had been a bit of a trap. "Haha, if you smell, just take a shower and don't embarrass yourself here.""With all that cheap stuff on, no wonder he has a smell."Hearing this, Frederick simply gave a slight smile and then asked Mary and Kimberly, "Are two really that fragrant?"Mary and Kimberly lifted their heads proudly after hearing Frederick's words. "Why don't you ask everyone here, ask them if we smell good or not?""Exactly, go ahead and ask."Both of them considered themselves beautiful, and of course, they would smell pleasant. The men around them quickly chimed in, especially those eager to admire Mary, who was dressed in a way that gave them a bit of eye candy. "Of course, they smell good. How could these two beautiful ladies not smell good?""Hehe, Frederick with his cheap, th
In a hidden corner, Nigel said to Mary, "Damn it, that bumpkin Frederick keeps stealing my spotlight. I am worried that our plan won't go well later.""You should help me humiliate him properly, and Ivan's girlfriend will back you up."Mary pursed her lips and said to Nigel, "Every time something comes up, you just ask me to handle it. My bag hasn't been bought yet, and you've lost 300 thousand dollars"Although Nigel was annoyed by Mary hitting a sore spot, he kept his tone calm and replied, "Help me humiliate Frederick and talk him down in front of Ivan. After that, leave the rest to me. Once it's done, I'll get you more than one bag, I could get you ten bags and it wouldn't be a problem. I don't care about that small amount of money. You saw that Porsche just now, right? I wouldn't mind burning it if I had to." Hearing this, Mary was delighted and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, babe." She hadn't realized that Nigel was so wealthy and even had a Porsche. Up until th
Knowing Martin as someone who knew a lot about wood, everyone immediately looked as though they were ready for a good show. They were convinced that the Saint George statue couldn’t possibly be made of anything valuable.Martin let out a strange exclamation. "What the hell!"Kimberly, thinking that Martin was angry, quickly said, "Mr. Lawson, tell us what’s so disastrous about this wood. Are you saying it’s just a piece of junk?"Contrary to expectations, Martin replied angrily, "I’m saying that whoever preserved this Saint George statue was a jerk. This is genuine sandalwood, and yet it’s completely neglected, covered in dust."Most of the group had no idea what sandalwood was worth, but judging by the name alone, it sounded impressive.Kimberly asked curiously, "Mr. Lawson, are you saying this is really antique wood?"Martin examined the statue carefully, scrutinizing every detail. "Judging by the texture, this carving must have been made at least 150 years ago."Everyone was
"The Saint George statue was indeed a fitting choice for a karaoke." Nigel chuckled, turning to Ivy.“Why didn’t you just go on Amazon and buy a new one for a few dozen bucks? This one is obviously second-hand. Or was it picked up from some junk stall?”Frederick heard Nigel’s mockery and nodded in agreement, a faint smile on his lips. “You’re not wrong. This statue actually was picked up from a street stall.”“At the Treasure Hall in the antique trade market, no less. And yes, it’s an antique.”The truth was, the statue was from the Victorian era. Even the owner of Treasure Hall, Dominic, had recognized its age but dismissed it as worthless, tossing it onto a stall outside.Frederick had picked it up casually, thinking it would come in handy one day, and now it was the perfect gift for Ivan.Hearing this, Nigel burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. “An antique? Treasure Hall? You’re really trying to fool us.”Kimberly chimed in, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she glance
The group’s attention was fully captured by Frederick’s words, their eyes all on him. Nigel, knowing that Kimberly had informed Ivy at the last minute and that she likely didn’t have a gift, sneered at Frederick."Well, if you’ve got a gift, go ahead and show it.""Considering Ivy and Kimberly’s relationship, the gift should be pretty decent, right?"Everyone was now staring at Frederick with anticipation, curious to see what kind of gift he could produce.Ivy, on the other hand, was completely flustered. She hadn’t handed any gift to Frederick, though she understood he was trying to help her out of a tough spot. But wasn’t this making things even more awkward?Nigel continued to press him, "Where’s the gift? Come on, take it out already.""After all this time, you still can’t take it out. Don’t tell me you don’t even have one."Frederick glanced at Nigel with a calm smile. "Oh? Are you planning to bet 300 grand with me again?"Nigel froze. There was no way he had another 300 t
Ivan was deeply moved, feeling as though all the unpleasantness from their school days had been swept away. A sense of childhood nostalgia, unique to old classmates, welled up within him.The crowd continued to shower Nigel with praise, giving him thumbs up one after another."A gift worth 10 grand is no small amount. Nigel is truly generous.""That’s right. These days, even classmates hesitate to prepare gifts, but Nigel has shown such generosity.."Most of the attendees had come because of their connection with Kimberly. Each had prepared gifts with costs ranging from a few hundred dollars. Compared to Nigel’s grandiose gift worth 10 thousand, their contributions paled in comparison.Hearing the compliments, Nigel waved his hand dismissively, feigning modesty. "It’s nothing, really. After all, Ivan and I are good friends from way back."Then, Nigel’s expression shifted slightly as he added, "Speaking of good friends, I’m sure it’s not just me and Ivan here who share a special b