“My greatest strength is my competence—no matter what the job is, I don’t even need to adapt, I can get started right away, and I never make mistakes. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.” Brian Harris used to be conservative in interviews, only mentioning what he could actually do. If someone hired you and you couldn’t do a thing, that would just be embarrassing. But now, he’d let go and started boasting shamelessly: “Hey, don’t doubt it. You want to know what a 21st-century talent looks like? That’s me! Miss, what are you hesitating for? If you miss this chance, you won’t get another. Top talent is standing right in front of you! Hey, hey, don’t frown, okay? Look, even though I’m a top talent, I won’t ask for a high salary, really. How about 5,000 yuan? Hey, hey, don’t curl your lip. Fine, 3,000 yuan. Even top talent has dignity, I can’t go any lower. Alright, alright, look at your brows all twisted up. I’ll throw away my dignity for you—1,500. Hey, let me tell you, your company is making a killing hiring someone like me…”

“Sir, could you please get to the point? We haven’t even agreed to hire you yet. We can discuss salary later.” Emily Cooper really didn’t know if, if she let him keep talking, anyone would still come to her booth. She’d just seen a promising candidate, but this guy had scared them off. She was fuming—did this guy know the newspaper was desperate for reporters and was trying to scare everyone off so he’d be the only one left?

“The point? The point is, I’m top talent. Thank you. That’s my answer.”

Emily Cooper’s expression shifted rapidly; she almost lost her composure and went up to fight him, completely unladylike. Patience, patience. She took a few deep breaths to calm down, then looked at him with a cool gaze: “If you’re such top talent, why are you applying to our company? And your outfit doesn’t exactly scream ‘top talent’ either.”

“From what you’re saying, it sounds like your company isn’t much, huh?” Brian Harris wagged his finger and shook his head, lecturing her instead: “Every profession is sacred and inviolable. If it exists, it has its reason. Never look down on your own industry. As the saying goes, every field produces its own top experts. As for the look of a successful person, that’s a deep question. Everyone has their own habits. Me, I prefer to keep it simple and down-to-earth. Those fancy brands—what’s-his-name Armani, whatever—they just decorate the outside, but you can’t hide the true level of your soul. Like me… ahem, well, do you get what I’m saying?”

“I—I get nothing.” Emily Cooper muttered to herself. She couldn’t help but think he had a point, but his narcissism at the end was infuriating. She rolled her eyes: “Alright, I’ll ask, you answer. No extra nonsense, OK?”

“Go ahead.” Brian Harris saw her “flirty glance” and felt secretly pleased. Hmph, trying to seduce me just because I’m top talent? Please, I’m a married man.

Clearing her throat, Emily Cooper propped her chin with her pen, her pink lips naturally pouting, giving off a mischievous vibe: “Do you speak English?”

“Tch, how could a top talent like me not speak English?” Brian Harris rolled his eyes guiltily, his gaze wandering.

Emily Cooper looked exasperated: “Can you please stop saying ‘top talent’?”

“O…K.” He squeezed out the two letters awkwardly, then felt quite proud of himself for speaking English for the first time.

“Then say a few sentences.”

“Didn’t I just say some?”

“……”

“Alright, alright, listen up: OK, KO, three Q… Is that enough? Hey, hey, what’s with that look? You don’t believe me? Fine, fine, I admit I can’t speak English, okay? Stop glaring, your eyeballs are about to pop out.” Brian Harris became sullen, thinking to himself that this job was probably a lost cause.

“How are your physical skills? I mean, fighting or running away.”

Old Harris felt like he’d grabbed a life raft in a vast ocean, excitement lighting up his eyes: “Now you’re asking the right person! Running away? Hmph, the words ‘run away’ don’t exist in my dictionary. As for fighting, hey, look at my build—how many do you think I can take? Three? Tch, I wouldn’t even bother unless it’s at least ten. You want to know why? Hmph, it’d be bullying otherwise. You have no idea, there was this one time I—”

“Alright, Mr. Brian Harris, you’re hired.” Emily Cooper had seen enough of his glib tongue and had to cut him off. She herself hadn’t said a word, but this guy had managed to act out her part too.

“Hired? Hired?” Brian Harris thought in confusion: Did I really just talk my way into a job?

“You’ve passed the preliminary interview. Come to the company at eight the day after tomorrow.” Emily Cooper pushed a slip with the company address to him, but her expression was cold as she shot him a warning look: “I hope your actual performance won’t disappoint me. I hope your bragging and joking skills match your abilities. Alright, you can go now.”

“News… newspaper?”

Finally seeing what job he’d applied for, Brian Harris gave a wry, helpless smile, even tinged with a bit of sadness. Should he really go?