“I’m a bit of an oddball—constantly rejected from jobs, no opportunities at all. In the community, they call me ‘the one with absolutely nothing.’” Shawn Lawrence said this with a serious face, and the previously worried Emily Thompson couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Her laugh was a bit too loud, so she quickly covered her mouth in a ladylike manner, glancing at Shawn Lawrence as she stifled her giggles.

It’s said that shyness is the most intoxicating kind of beauty. Looking at this junior, Shawn Lawrence started to believe that cliché. That look of wanting to laugh but holding back, not daring to let go, was like a bashful mimosa plant—maybe not exactly beautiful, but it made his heart itch, making him want to reach out and touch her. If he hadn’t seen her résumé, Shawn Lawrence would never have believed that, in a place like Zhongda where creeps were everywhere, such a shy gem could have survived.

From nervousness to glaring, from glaring to a shy smile, from a shy smile to relaxation—it was only a matter of a dozen steps. Because they were alumni, the distance between them shrank, and because of Shawn Lawrence’s pseudo-literary pretensions, he’d gained a bit of favor. At this moment, they were even closer. Shawn Lawrence could see the junior more clearly: a worried yet gentle look, a smile that didn’t show her teeth, still carrying that innocent student vibe. She was definitely a well-behaved, top student, clueless about the world outside her studies. Judging by her timid demeanor, this was probably her first time at a job fair, trying her luck. In that brief moment when they exchanged smiles, Shawn Lawrence’s urge to help exploded—he almost wished he were the boss, so he could just hire her and train her as his assistant.

Of course, that was just a fantasy, not worth mentioning. Most dreams never come true anyway.

But there’s more than one way to reach a dream. As he was pondering how to get her phone number, the girl, with no ulterior motives, was just a little happy to see a fellow alum. After a brief, embarrassed smile, she raised the résumé she hadn’t handed out yet, gestured toward the crowd, meaning she had to go—business couldn’t wait.

After a quick gesture, she lined up at the end of the crowded queue in a very ladylike way. Shawn Lawrence was momentarily stunned. Looking around at the endless sea of people, he realized that girls like her were rare finds in such a crowd—turn your head for a second and she’d be gone, maybe never to be seen again. What made Shawn Lawrence’s heart itch even more was that, judging by her behavior, the most likely—and most desirable—situation was: she was single!

Opportunities don’t wait, and neither do girls like this. Without thinking, Shawn Lawrence stepped forward and quietly motioned for her to come over… Secretively, he led junior Emily Thompson a few steps away from the crowd, close to the wall, and spoke softly, seriously, and earnestly: “You’re new here, you should really ask your senior for advice, avoid taking detours… Look at how many people are in line, and then look at your stack of résumés—do you think you can hand them all out in a week? And with your build, can you even squeeze in there?”

Yeah, it was still a huge crowd. The junior tilted her head, never having imagined that even handing out résumés could be so tough. Shawn Lawrence’s serious tone made her look even more troubled.

“I’ll teach you how to do it… For this, you not only need a thick skin, but also some real technique… Come on, let me help you take your first step into society…”

Shawn Lawrence comforted her in a low voice, then boldly grabbed Emily Thompson’s hand and pulled her forward a few steps. The junior was caught off guard, her face flushing with embarrassment at being touched so intimately by someone she’d just met. She was about to pull away when Shawn Lawrence let go, pointed at the crowd, and, seeing her a bit dazed, gave a final serious reminder: “Pay attention, the crowd is about to loosen up a bit—grab the chance! When I push you, go in right away…”

“No way!?”

Emily Thompson turned her head in astonishment, clearly not convinced. It had been packed all morning, and she couldn’t understand why neither the men nor the women here had any sense of order. When had the crowd ever loosened up?

“If I say it will, it will… I’m about to cast a job-hunting spell… Get ready.”

Shawn Lawrence grinned mischievously, leaving Emily Thompson completely baffled. Just as she was wondering what he meant, Shawn Lawrence straightened his neck, widened his eyes, and, putting on a show, suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs: “Hey… whose phone fell on the ground… phone, phone, under that table…”

The sudden loud shout was very targeted and immediately effective. Half the people looked down, the other half quickly checked their own pockets, and the crowd shifted slightly to the left and right. Still confused about what Shawn Lawrence was up to, Emily Thompson hadn’t reacted yet when she felt a big hand push her from behind. She instinctively moved forward a few steps, squeezed through the gap in the crowd, and, being small, slipped right in. As she went in, she saw clearly that Shawn Lawrence had stuck his leg into the crowd and kicked the person in front. The guy who got kicked turned around angrily and said, “Who kicked me?”

Someone behind chimed in, “Yeah, who kicked someone? If you’re looking for your phone, just look for your phone—why kick people?”

That was Shawn Lawrence shouting. Being short had its advantages—hidden in the crowd, no one could see him causing trouble. Emily Thompson instantly understood her senior’s intentions: he was trying to create a distraction so she could cut into the line. While the guy who got kicked was turning around to scold, the people beside him shifted aside, leaving a gap. In just a few seconds, she’d been pushed by Shawn Lawrence right up to the recruitment table.