LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 23: Chapter 18 Interview
"Name?"
"Brian Lee."
"You're a forensic assistant at the Forensic Bureau, why choose to switch jobs?"
"I've always had a dream..."
...
The dim room.
Under the orange light, Brian sat on a high stool, his expression serious as he answered questions from the interviewer opposite him.
This situation.
If they put handcuffs on his hands,
Brian would suspect that he'd committed a crime.
This newly established NW Department had a really peculiar way of doing things.
Transported by military helicopter,
they'd even blindfolded him during the trip.
After disembarking from the helicopter,
Brian and a group were guided through another security check.
After passing,
they took an elevator.
They arrived at a very large hall,
where they finally removed their blindfolds.
Now, they didn't even know where they were.
Except for Brian.
Brian's enhanced sense of smell let him detect a faint earthy scent.
Now, they were deep underground.
If it were not for the fact that Brian had lived in this world for over twenty years and had never heard of the Umbrella Company, he might have believed this base to be an underground facility of the Umbrella Company.
...
He didn't know how much time had passed,
until Brian was parched and tongued-tied.
Only then did the interviewer opposite him stop the questioning.
Under the dim, orange light,
the interviewer, who was initially turned away from the light and hidden in shadow, leaned slightly forward, finally revealing his pale face.
Brian narrowed his eyes, trying to see the other person's face clearly.
But under the effect of the light,
he could not see the interviewer's features, only make out two deep crow's feet at the sides of his cheeks, which suggested he was not young.
The interviewer seemed also to be contemplating something.
The most suitable position for Brian would be Autopsy Officer,
a position that required both talent and enough experience.
But Brian was too young.
He pondered, then asked again, "Mr. Brian, I just looked at your electronic file, and the forensic doctors you've worked with all rate you very highly, may I ask how you've achieved this?"
Brian shrugged his shoulders and honestly said, "I have access to many quality resources."
"Hmm?"
"It just so happens that most of those forensic doctors are men."
"Hmm!"
The interviewer immediately understood what 'quality resources' meant.
His look towards Brian instantly changed.
The man, who had just been uncertain, immediately got up and reached out both hands enthusiastically towards Brian, "Sounds impressive, what I mean is, our NW Department really needs someone with your talent, you've passed my interview, Mr. Brian!"
...
Just like that,
Brian passed the first round of the interview in a daze.
...
After passing the interview,
Brian was led by a tall, cool-looking blonde woman to a very large rest room.
The moment he saw this beauty,
Brian knew.
He was in the right place!
He was born to join the NW Department!
Even the worldly and knowledgeable Brian had to admit that her appearance, figure, and temperament might not all be the best, but together, they were definitely the most attractive person of the opposite sex he'd ever encountered in his past and present lives.
Perhaps this was what they call love at first sight.
Brian really wanted to enjoy the sunrise with this lady.
Unfortunately, his main goal now was to successfully pass the assessment, so he dared not make any rash moves.
Otherwise, Brian would definitely ask her for contact details.
As he watched the blonde beauty's back disappearing,
Brian reluctantly withdrew his gaze and began to look around the rest room.
...
The rest room was large.
There were only two or three people sitting apart.
They must have also passed the first round of interviews.
Brian exchanged glances with them before finding a place to sit down by himself.
Time passed.
The place seemed as if it had been forgotten.
Until everyone's stomachs started growling, when there were about fifty or more people in the rest room, no one came to lead them to meals, nor did anyone pay them any attention, leaving them there.
But they were all adults.
Plus, after coming here, the unusual treatment they'd received
made all these candidates realize that this NW Department wasn't as simple as they had initially thought.
No one dared to showcase their individuality in such a place.
...
At this moment,
in a very large office,
four men and two women, each with a tablet not commonly seen on the market, were looking over the information on the tablets while watching the people on the giant surveillance screen in front of them, sizing them up as if they were livestock.
This included the tall, blonde woman who had led Brian to the rest room.
Her tablet already had the profiles of four individuals pulled up.
Brian's portrait was prominently among them.
Thump thump thump~
The office door was pushed open.
The Caucasian interviewer who had previously interviewed Brian walked in.
Six individuals - four men and two women - quickly stood up from their chairs upon seeing him and respectfully said in unison, "Mr. Pavel."
This guy was evidently not just any ordinary interviewer.
Pavel nodded and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the first round of the interview selection has now been completed. Please submit the lists of your chosen candidates."
The six of them had already made their choices.
These pre-selected second-generation leaders put on blindfolds and began to leave one by one, escorted by the security personnel of the base.
Only the blonde beauty remained behind.
...
Once everyone had left.
The tall blonde beauty's stern expression softened as she smiled at the middle-aged man before her, "Uncle Pavel, long time no see."
Pavel looked at the daughter of his old friend. A bitter smile emerged on his weary face, "Susan, I really don't understand why your father would agree to let you come to such a dangerous department."
"It's simple, I made a bet with him."
Susan clearly did not want to delve further into the subject.
She handed over the tablet, changing the topic, "Let's not talk about those unpleasant things. Uncle Pavel, what do you think about the few people I've chosen?"
Pavel curiously took the tablet and started to examine it, only to become slightly dumbfounded.
On the tablet, there were four people.
All four had been interviewed by him personally.
Susan was sneakily observing Pavel's expression and saw him freeze, feeling a surge of joy.
She knew it!
Anyone who passed an interview with Uncle Pavel had to be an extraordinary talent!
Pavel looked at his secretly delighted niece, and after his lips twitched a couple of times, he found himself at a loss for words.
But the idea of setting up his own niece in such a manner didn't feel quite right either.
After a moment of silence.
Pavel tried to persuade her somewhat awkwardly, "Susan, why don't you pick another four people?"
"Why?"
Susan looked at Pavel with a hint of suspicion.
Her uncle couldn't have been tipped off by her father in advance to try and scupper her, could he?
"Because they're all unsuitable!"
"Why are they unsuitable?"
Susan pointed to Brian's portrait on the tablet, challenging him, "Uncle Pavel, tell me what's wrong with him."
Pavel, looking at Brian's portrait, felt his scalp tingle.
He couldn't possibly admit to his niece that the man was a good-for-nothing.
The only reason he had let him through was because of some rather unspeakable reasons.
That was using power for personal gain, wasn't it?
It would greatly tarnish his image.
Pavel could only vaguely comment, "He's too young. Being an Autopsy Officer is a job that requires a great deal of experience."
Susan, noticing Pavel's discomfort, sneered but did not respond. Instead, she pointed directly to another portrait—this time of an elderly man who looked to be in his seventies, "He's old enough, isn't he? Uncle Pavel, please tell me what's wrong with him?"
She was certain now.
Uncle Pavel must have noticed her keen eye, picking out all the people he favored, and fearing she might fulfill the bet with her father, he wanted to prevent her from taking these talents away!
Looking at the portrait of the old man.
Pavel was again struck silent.
He certainly couldn't tell his niece that the old man was an old gaming buddy of his who had generously provided him with many cheats, and he had been picked to play doubles to lighten up his mood.
Nepotism, such things.
It's not something that should be said openly!
Seeing Pavel lost for words.
Susan pointed at the remaining two portraits, sporting righteous expressions and looking like elite men, "What about these two? Neither too old nor too young, with years of experience in detective work, please tell me, what's wrong with them?"
Pavel, staring at these two upstanding fellows, was speechless.
He couldn't reveal to his niece that these two individuals, because of some bizarre working styles, had driven their leaders to despair. They had used this opportunity, after a few favors he owed them, to bring them in with plans to dismiss them later.
How inappropriate.
It was simply impossible to explain.
To do so would be to abuse power.
But staying silent would mean setting up his own niece.
In the end, Pavel could only silently lift his head and stare at the ceiling in a daze.
He was at a loss for words.
He had interviewed twelve people.
Only four had been allowed by him to pass the interview because of various reasons.
And these four had all been picked by Susan.
Misery!
Seeing Pavel remaining silent,
Susan, as if she had won a battle, snorted coldly, "Uncle Pavel, I'm going to prepare for the second round of assessment!"
Damn!
Still trying to trick me!
With a joyful whistle, she strode victoriously, put on her blindfold, and rested her hand on the shoulder of a female security guard waiting outside the door, ready to leave.
Pavel didn't dare to imagine.
How badly those four troublemakers gathered together might set up his niece Susan.
It was just too much for him to bear, so he called out to Susan, who was about to leave, hoping to save this foolish girl at the last moment, "Susan, there are still more than twenty alternate candidates you can choose from. Please reconsider, otherwise, you will definitely regret it."
"I never regret my choices!"
Susan dropped the arrogant remark without looking back and vanished from Pavel's sight.
Pavel shook his head, took out his phone, and called Susan's father.
Although he was unaware of the specifics of the bet between Susan and her father, it now seemed likely that Susan's team would fail the second round of assessments. It was the perfect opportunity to claim some credit in advance and extort a few bottles of an exquisitely vintage wine from his friend.
It was just a pity for Brian.
Such a fine young man.
Clearly someone who knew how to care for his leaders and was very ambitious.
Such a waste.