An acquaintance, Emily Thompson was a bit surprised, not knowing how Shawn Lawrence happened to know the administrator of the job market, but seeing this, she felt reassured. As for the administrator, he waved his hand, the security guard left, and he patted Shawn Lawrence on the shoulder, warning him: “Hey, don’t make a scene, there are so many people here... Listen, Little Hank, can’t you just find a proper job and settle down? Why do I see you at the job market every few days? It’s only been a few months since you came for the last recruitment?”

“It’s not my fault, Mr. Thompson. Last time I was selling down jackets for someone, but now the season’s over, the boss has packed up and left. What am I supposed to do? It’s just after the New Year, all businesses are in a lull, there are so few opportunities—if I don’t grab them, what should I do?” Shawn Lawrence said seriously, and of course he was talking about job hunting, so cutting in line seemed justified.

“Alright, alright... stop trying to talk circles around me, things are already a headache here, don’t make it worse...” The administrator waved his hand to cut him off, not wanting to banter with Shawn Lawrence any longer, or maybe, since there was a lady present, he wanted to save Shawn Lawrence some face. He glanced at the two of them, didn’t scold too harshly, and didn’t pay much attention to Shawn Lawrence’s cheeky, unserious response. He gave a few brief instructions, then, seeing another booth getting overcrowded not far away, hurried over to maintain order. When Shawn Lawrence turned back, he saw Emily Thompson blinking her big eyes at him, her fair little hand still holding onto his right arm. Maybe being relied on by someone could bring a certain sense of happiness and satisfaction. Shawn Lawrence grinned in a manly way and comforted her nonchalantly: “It’s fine, don’t be nervous, what’s there to be nervous about? Even if he catches us, there’s nothing he can do—there are so many people, how could he keep track of everyone... Heh heh... In a bit, we’ll just shout as planned.”

Shawn Lawrence’s nonchalance and thick skin amused her again. She laughed and leaned in a little, but then Emily Thompson realized the two of them looked like a couple, and she was still holding onto this senior whose name she didn’t even know. She let go as if shocked, sneaking a slightly embarrassed glance at Shawn Lawrence. Luckily, he was scratching his head and looking around as if searching for an opportunity, not showing any reaction. Emily Thompson quietly steadied herself after her slip, and thinking about what the administrator had said, she became curious. She nudged Shawn Lawrence with her elbow and asked, “What are you thinking about?... Senior, why did the administrator just call you ‘忽悠’?”

“Oh, that’s a nickname. All of us seasonal salespeople are called ‘忽悠’. The season’s wrong now, but when it’s peak sales time, people like me are in high demand.” Shawn Lawrence snapped back to attention, seeing Emily Thompson staring at him intently, as if scrutinizing him, and reassured her: “Don’t worry, I was a bit careless just now... If one method doesn’t work, we’ll think of another... Right, wait here, I’ll go find an administrator I know and borrow a badge to take you straight to the front desk...”

Shawn Lawrence glanced at a not-so-distant administrator’s badge, and a new idea struck him—he was about to pretend to be an administrator. But as soon as he turned, he felt someone tug at him. Looking back, the junior girl had grabbed his bag, smiling a little shyly: “No need, I can do it myself.”

“It’s fine, it’s no trouble.” Shawn Lawrence patted his chest, clearly not bothered even if it was trouble.

“Really, there’s no need. We can’t cheat all morning, can we? There are only two left, let me do it myself, okay?” Emily Thompson raised the resumes in her hand, as if seeking his opinion, her words gentle and her expression pure, like a little sister pleading with her brother for a small favor, in a way that was hard to refuse.

Staring at her, Shawn Lawrence’s eyes widened, and he was a bit stunned. She really wasn’t just being polite, so he simply said, “Alright, we’ll do as you say. Everything has a first time, and you really can’t rely on others—ultimately, you have to depend on yourself...”

Shawn Lawrence was also surprised by this junior’s independent attitude. He made a gentlemanly gesture, and Emily Thompson, as if receiving great affirmation, smoothed her chest and tried to boost her confidence. She turned back and gave Shawn Lawrence a sweet smile, then lined up at the back of the crowd. Yes, after all, once you’ve been through it, it’s really not that big a deal. Besides, that senior was still not far away, giving her encouraging looks and a thumbs-up from time to time.

As the noise grew, she could no longer hear the senior’s warm Central Plains accent. Short and buried in the crowd, Emily Thompson now truly felt the terrifying, sardine-like crush her dormmates had described. Looking down, all she could see were feet; looking up, all she saw were hands holding resumes high; looking left and right, it was all jostling people. After being stepped on several times and bumped who knows how many times, with her arms aching and legs sore, she finally, for the first time, managed to stand in front of the recruitment desk on her own. By then, the crowding had made her forget even her shyness and nervousness. She handed over her resume, fluently stated her alma mater and major, and felt that the recruiters weren’t as harsh as she’d imagined. They glanced over her resume, asked a few questions about whether she could handle hardship and if she was afraid of overtime; after a quick look at her, they simply told her to wait for an interview notice, then called for the next person.