Clockwork Bride

Page 218

As for who should be in charge of managing this new department... well, that would naturally be Hayden himself. It was his decision, and of course he has to take responsibility.

Therefore, Hayden must now conduct interviews to see who among the 47,045 job seekers is a suitable candidate and who can take on important positions in this new department.

At this point, they are no longer true "job seekers," because they are already confirmed to be hired (provided they don't suddenly change their minds). Hayden's task now and in the future is not recruitment, but assessment and training.

"Since the remaining two were able to pass your test, their technical skills are obviously not a problem."

So Hayden said to Angela

"Let them come in for interviews in turn."

Angela nodded happily and immediately let the first person in.

The man was probably in his late thirties. Hayden immediately sensed a deep weariness in him, both physically and mentally. His face was extremely haggard, and the broken glasses held together with tape on his nose revealed his dire financial situation.

So Hayden glanced down at the man's resume: Badra Bolin, Master of Science in StarNet Communications. Although not from a top university, he had several years of teaching experience after graduation, and had done many different part-time jobs, even providing white-hat hacking testing services for some companies. His seemingly simple background, yet he managed to pass Angela's absolutely fair selection exam, standing out from 40,000 applicants—this alone demonstrated Bolin's true talent. He was definitely a gem unearthed from the depths of despair.

But then, what's the point of Hayden's interview? Couldn't he just be hired directly?

The answer is actually very simple.

“Your abilities are beyond question, and we are not here to decide your future – you can work for our company if you wish. We just need to determine your future position.”

Looking at his future employee, Hayden spoke first.

Tell me your motivation for wanting to join our company.

To an ordinary person, this would be just common talk, even a somewhat clichéd interview question. But for Hayden, it was different. Because the moment he spoke, he opened his fiery tongue, spitting out sharp swords of thought. These blades of thought could even cleave the soul.

Hayden didn't intend to forcibly cut open other people's hearts to see what was inside; after all, that would be too domineering and could cause psychological trauma. But those who bore the brunt of his "sword of words" still had to face the test of directly questioning their souls. Words are indeed a sword that probes the heart.

As for why Hayden did this domineering thing, the primary reason was, of course, to guard against corporate espionage. Hayden had never been good at this kind of organizational management, which put him under a lot of pressure and made him dare not act carelessly.

On the other hand, it was because he wanted to understand the actual difficulties these job seekers encountered.

What Hayden saw next was shocking.

First of all, Mr. Bolin's reason for seeking employment was simple: he needed money. He needed money to pay his credit card bills and rent; he only had a few dozen yuan left in his pocket.

Such a motivation for seeking employment is certainly not bad; in fact, Hayden hopes that everyone is there for the same reason. He hopes that his widespread recruitment will help people out of poverty and distress. However, Professor Bolin's other thoughts surprised Hayden:

It turns out that in the eyes of these job seekers, Hayden's company might actually be a huge scam!

Although this teacher Bolin came for money, he was very worried that the money he received from this company might be the price to buy his life!

Think about it: a newly established high-tech company recruited more than 40,000 people at once, without any screening, and almost all of them were put in, and they were offered very high salaries and employee benefits. How suspicious is that?

In addition, Angela had just connected them all to strange plant vines and used indescribable life magic on them, which made these job seekers even more frightened, fearing that they might have been sent to be used as guinea pigs for drug testing.

Therefore, Hayden can understand this idea.

...Yet even so, despite realizing that this might be a scam to use people as guinea pigs, potentially costing them their health or even their lives, Mr. Bolin still came and worked hard to pass three rounds of elimination exams. Why? Does it even need to be said?

Thinking about this, Hayden felt even heavier. He told Professor Bolin to go outside and wait for the interview results, while he slumped onto his desk, rubbing his temples.

The world is so big, there must be many ordinary people as miserable as Bolin. Of these 40,000-plus people today, probably very few are truly happy. Bolin's situation is likely similar for others. Just as a drop of water can reveal the ocean, there are probably many more people in the world suffering because of the job market.

This made Hayden particularly frustrated.

Doesn't Hayden care about and be concerned about the lives of so many people these days?

But he didn't intend to just care or be concerned. Now that Hayden had boldly used Angela's perpetual motion machine, he wanted to freely distribute the endless spring water to everyone.

One day, he will change the world and turn all those who are suffering into happy and joyful people.

"Let Professor Bolin be a senior researcher in the new department, doing what he's really good at. Anyway, we're well-paid here, so he should feel at ease after a while."

Hayden turned to Angela and said...

"Let the remaining person come in for the interview as well."

Angela nodded, but then tilted her head: "Master, the last job seeker was not a pure human."

This was somewhat unexpected for Hayden: "Not a pure human? An orc? Or a enhanced human?"

However, before Hayden could finish speaking, Angela had already let him in.

The job seeker who walked into the interview room truly surprised Hayden. She had brown skin, waist-length hair that was darker than night, light red eyes, and long, pointed, willow-leaf-shaped elf ears, just like Karen's.

Therefore, this job seeker's race was so well-known that almost everyone knew it, to the point that Hayden instinctively blurted it out:

"Dark elves (dokkalfar)?"

“My name is Joanna Hadersdottir.”

The female dark elf smiled slightly and bowed to Hayden.

"Nice to meet you, you must be Mr. Hayden?"

Dark Elves are a lower-level divine race that is vastly different from White Elves (ljosalfar) like Kallen.

Of course, we all know that Kallen isn't a proper white elf. Her elf genes were forcibly inserted into her by Hela. Kallen is actually a strange life form, a mixture of fallen angel blood, the genes of the goddess Hela, and other miscellaneous elements, making it difficult to define. There's only one of her in the entire world.

Conversely, Joanna, the dark elf who had come to Hayden seeking employment, was clearly a normal lower-ranking divine dark elf.

Unlike the elegant demeanor and sharp, tailored appearance of the white elves, this female dark elf came for her interview wearing denim shorts and only a black V-neck tank top, which made her chest appear prominently displayed. And those breasts were incredibly large, almost the size of Karen's head. Frankly, Hayden didn't know how to describe how big they were; he was utterly speechless.

Such large breasts, if they were on a slender, delicate white elf like Karen, would probably make her lose her balance. However, Miss Joanna has a strong back, firm thighs, and rounded hips, allowing her to stand tall and proud. If she were to take a few more steps towards Hayden, she might even be able to ram him with her breasts.

Hayden actually liked breasts. When he designed Angela's mecha, he made her artificial breasts quite perky... but they were still just large within the normal range. To this extent was actually a bit frightening.

Could it be that this chest, as large as a head, is the divine power of the Dark Elves?!

Of course not. But due to differences in genetic design, there is indeed such a large difference in physique between dark elves and fair elves.

"The whole world knows that Dark Elves are an exceptionally skilled race of artisans. Even with the recent impact of educational chips on the job market and the fact that major companies have begun to lower salaries, your physiological advantages as a god have not been negated, and you will not lack job opportunities or generous compensation."

So Hayden frowned and said,

"You probably didn't just come here because of our company's good benefits, did you?"

Dark Elves, also known as "Dark Dwarves," are a race of exceptionally skilled artisans. Compared to mortals, they are shorter in stature, with brown skin and hair that can be black, silver, or gold. Most importantly, they are exceptionally dexterous, possess remarkable stamina, are physically strong, and have astonishing strength; their average lifespan is twice that of mortals.

Ancient myths and legends mention that dark elves originated from the corpse of an ancient Norse god. It is said that the side of the corpse facing the light became the earliest white elves, and the side facing the shadow became the earliest dark elves. Therefore, they and elves were originally a low-level divine race. In modern terms, they were genetically modified beings who surpassed pure mortals.

While lower-ranking gods are certainly exploited by the capitalist gods, they are still beneficiaries of the capitalist system, and their innate abilities surpass those of mortals, so their treatment is not as dire as that of ordinary impoverished people. Furthermore, dark elves generally possess superior craftsmanship and manufacturing talents compared to humans. Such a divine race is naturally valued by many large corporations, especially in Europe.

It is said that in ancient times, when mortals had just invented the wheel, dark elves had already mastered the advanced technique of forging mithril and adamantite. In modern times, the technological differences between mortal and dark elf artisans have narrowed, but the racial disparity remains significant. In fact, the more widespread education and technology become, the more pronounced the differences in racial talent become. Because when everyone's skills are equal, the only difference lies in talent.

In short, the Dark Elves are indeed a race of gods who are far more adept at "creating things" than humans. They shouldn't immediately lose their jobs just because educational chips are becoming widespread, right?

The dark elf lady was clearly not stupid; she immediately understood Hayden's meaning and then smiled and admitted, "That's not true. Actually, I received offers from several companies. But I still want to work for your company."

Hayden raised an eyebrow: "That's incredibly sweet talk. So why did you specifically choose our company?"

This question, however, only elicited a more meaningful smile from the dark elf Joanna. Suddenly, she approached Hayden's seat and said softly:

"Because I have always been very interested in you, Mr. Hayden."

244: Effortless!

what's the situation?

A voluptuous and alluring dark elf says she's very interested in you. Sounds great!

Despite this, Hayden was not happy at all; instead, he felt immense pressure, like the other person's chest pressing down on him.

As mentioned before, Hayden has never been good at organizational management. Witnessing the suffering of so many people just now put him under considerable pressure, making him hesitant to act rashly. So, how could he possibly be in the mood to be happy about the flirtatious dark elf lady's advances? Instead, he immediately became even more cautious: "Why are you interested in me?"

Unexpectedly, the dark elf actually started listing the reasons on his fingers: "More than half a year ago, there was a miracle in Fallen City. Many eyewitnesses claimed that they saw you there at the time. Lady Karen only appeared afterward."

"Although you didn't appear in public during Smoke Mirror Company's idol-making project last year, many staff members privately revealed that you were Miktti Kashiva's advisor at the time and are now highly trusted by her."

“Going back even further, it is said that the New Sprout City we are in today was originally built under your supervision.”

"In conclusion, you have so many achievements, you are handsome, and you are still unmarried. That alone is enough to attract attention. Isn't it normal for one or two women to be interested in you?"

As Joanna spoke, her eyes shone with a smile.

"So of course I'm very interested, both in your company's innovative technologies and in you."

Hayden now understood somewhat—well, another woman similar to the goddess Mikkelsen, also there for potential benefits, and quite interested in Hayden as well. But that's only human nature, nothing to criticize.

Hayden was, after all, recruiting employees, not revolutionary comrades. Even if they were looking for revolutionary comrades, it's impossible to expect everyone to be there for a greater good—that's pure fantasy. As for the psychological manipulation of "loyalty to the company," that's something only capitalists could pull off.

(Actually, Karen did similar things, but at least she was genuinely good to her employees and truly wanted to change the world, so Hayden didn't say anything.)

In any case, this dark elf goddess is at least a little better than the vampire goddess, right?

"Okay, then I'm welcome."

Even so, Hayden carefully avoided physical contact with Joanna.

"From now on, I will train and test you as a representative of new employees and a future candidate for leadership. Do you have any objections?"

He was still somewhat apprehensive about this beautiful woman who offered herself up so readily. Moreover, Hayden still needed to further test Joanna's actual work and leadership abilities.

Hayden's words and reaction clearly surprised Joanna: "A future cadre candidate? Of course I'd be happy to. But..."

What's wrong with that? New guy, you're not energetic enough!

"However, I am not human after all, and suddenly becoming the representative of new employees who are mostly humans is quite unsettling."

Unexpectedly, the dark elf woman who had just been rubbing against Hayden's face suddenly became timid, lowering her eyebrows, crossing her arms, and looking at Hayden pitifully.

"At least at the beginning, could you please show me around the company's rules and regulations?"

These new recruits were originally brought in by Hayden, so managing them was naturally his responsibility. Hayden nodded in agreement.

This made Joanna even happier. Seeing Hayden nod, she smiled charmingly, then bowed and left the office.

As Angela watched her leave, she immediately said to Hayden, "Master, shall I arrange for Miss Joanna to be your secretary?"

She actually seemed quite enthusiastic.

"Stop messing around."

Hayden quickly waved his hand. He was genuinely afraid she'd say something like, "The secretary does everything when there's work to be done, and does everything else when there's nothing to do!"

"Which secretary can compare to you? The tasks we assign you are more than ten secretaries could finish. Without you, we would all explode."

These words pleased Angela greatly: "Master, you're getting better and better at saying flattering things! But you should say those things to other girls more often!"

Hayden was genuinely startled: "You don't really want me to get to know this new dark elf, do you?"

“What’s wrong with that? Master has been under a lot of stress lately, his mood isn’t very high, and he’s obviously very, very lacking in sex life.” Angela said this while tilting her head. “My dear master, I don’t want to burden you. I want you to be able to relax and be happy.”

Hayden's lips twitched at these words: "Please spare me. The situation is getting more and more complicated. How can I be in the mood for relaxation? Let alone sex."

“Master, this is because you’re as stubborn as ever.”

Angela shook her head regretfully.

Even if the world's waves are fierce, you should learn to maintain a calm and joyful state of mind.

That might make some sense, and Hayden could indeed understand it; it was part of what was meant by a certain level of understanding. But he didn't want Angela constantly playing matchmaker for him.

So after a moment's hesitation, Hayden activated his magic and sent a mental message. Two seconds later, a person immediately emerged from the shadows behind him.

"Master, what are your orders?"

The female ninja, Momiji, asked with an expectant look on her face.

Because Hayden had been engrossed in research at home for the past few months, and Momiji had been lurking in the shadows of New Sprout City, monitoring everyone, she was doing her job as a fairly standard ninja. However, New Sprout City's protective barrier, centered on the Tree of Life and supported by Kallen and the [Dream Flower Sea], was extremely powerful, making it almost impossible for Momiji to find an opportunity to distinguish herself. Furthermore, this member of the Old God Clan was steeped in feudal samurai ideology, feeling that without merit, their livelihood was meaningless.

...To be honest, she's somewhat similar to Hayden in this respect. Hayden also felt anxious if he didn't achieve something.

"Did you see that dark elf who came for the interview just now? She'll be starting work here tomorrow."

Hayden pointed to the office door.

"I didn't use the Sword of Words to cut open her heart and see what was inside. That would be too domineering, an evil method, and I don't want to use it lightly unless I'm sure the other party is a bad person or something. Besides, I have a gut feeling that the dark elf shouldn't be an evil person."

“However, ‘not a bad person’ doesn’t mean ‘there’s no problem.’ I’m worried she might be a corporate spy. You should follow her and investigate her background—but even if you find something wrong, don’t engage in combat. If there’s danger, just get back as fast as you can, okay?”

Hongye nodded confidently: "Since coming under your command, I have consumed a lot of enhancement resources. Although my combat power is not comparable to that of the True Gods, it would take a True God to capture me. Even if the Battle God Clan squad were to search for me, I would definitely be able to escape."

These words didn't completely reassure Hayden. But he still nodded and said, "Then this matter is in your hands. If you are caught, just say you are a subordinate of the Peacock King and let us ransom you."

Hayden has been using the Peacock King's tiger skin quite rudely lately. The Peacock King, however, has never cared.

Hongye was clearly somewhat resentful that Hayden seemed unsure of her abilities. But a ninja can't talk back to his superior, so she bowed her head, accepted the order, and left.

Hayden could see her resentment all too well, but he was also desperate. He was genuinely afraid something would happen to his friends!

"None of these people are easy to deal with. I'm starting to understand how difficult it is to be a father."