For the next few days, Gray spent most of his time looking at people's resumes.He'd start each morning the same way.A cup of black coffee in hand, sleeves rolled up, and his laptop open on the desk. The hiring portal was already filled with PDF files of resumes.For two days straight, the notifications never stopped.New applicants came in every few hours.There were some long-time employees from other companies hoping to have a new opportunity. There were also a few independent small shop owners who were now looking for a more stable job.There was even a former employee who had managed a school canteen who wrote, "I don't know how corporate this job is, but I know how to manage people who are tired and hungry."Gray couldn't help but chuckle at that one.By the end of the day, his desktop was filled with notes. Color-coded tabs, shortlists, annotations, and a simple tracker sheet with names and timestamps for those he wanted to meet.HR was also doing their own thing.Marcus told

"My name is Alicia Monroe. I'm thirty-two years old. I studied Business Administration in college but had to stop during my final year due to family circumstances. Since then, I've been working in retail—starting as a part-time cashier, then moving to inventory, and eventually becoming a floor supervisor."She glanced down briefly at the folder she'd brought, then back up to the panel of interviewers in front of her."I've spent the last four years at Grandview Market. I oversaw the day shift team and handled daily briefings. I also worked closely with the backroom team to manage stock discrepancies and weekly deliveries."She paused for a second, then smiled faintly."I guess what I really enjoyed the most while working there was being with people. Solving things as a team. I liked being in the middle of everything, where I could actually help."Gray nodded slowly as he listened, pen in hand. He jotted a short note next to her name."Can I ask then what made you want to look for anot

"Thank you. That's all for now."After a few more questions, the first set of interviews was finally done.Alicia and Ben both stood up, bowed once more, and gave their thanks before stepping out.The door clicked shut.Mr. Wallace turned slowly to Gray. He had a satisfied look on his face. Years of experience in hiring, and he could tell that the two were prepared for the day."That was unexpected.""I agree," Marcus also nodded."I liked their answers," Gray murmured. However, out of the two, he really preferred how Ben did it. It was evident earlier that the three of them were surprised by the way he answered."You still have fifteen minutes before the second set, Sirs." The assistant from earlier came back into the room to remind them of the time.Gray leaned back in his seat slightly, his fingers drumming once along the edge of his folder."Fifteen minutes, huh?" he repeated.Across from him, Mr. Wallace gave a quiet chuckle."It's enough time for a sip of water and a quick debat

In his life, Gray never thought he would have to clarify that 212 is two hundred twelve dollars to someone."Selina," he called her name again, this time in utter disbelief. His voice caught somewhere between a sigh and a laugh."Two hundred twelve means two hundred and twelve dollars. Not twenty-one thousand or two hundred twelve thousand."Selina stared at him, confused."Huh? It's that cheap?""Yes, Selina, we're in a department store," Gray blinked.His brain short-circuited trying to process how someone could genuinely misunderstand something that badly.Selina tilted her head and shook it as if there was something wrong with it."That doesn't sound right, Gray. That was like so many clothes. Are you sure the cashier didn't forget to scan or something?""No," he said flatly. "We're at a department store, not a luxury shop, Selina.""Huh..." However, Selina remained confused. "But that's so cheap," she mumbled to herself.Gray stared at her in disbelief.Then it hit him."Selina,

After spending his full Sunday without doing anything, Monday finally arrived for Gray.The atmosphere in the office felt different that morning. It felt more alert than usual. People walked in the hallway, whispers passed between departments, and even the front desk assistant seemed unusually polished and efficient.Gray stepped into the building shortly after eight in the morning. His tie was properly set, and the folders in his hand were already organized from the night before. He had reviewed each applicant again before bed, replaying parts of the first interview in his head and mentally noting the questions he wanted to ask today.Today was the final round for the interview.And this time, they were doing it one by one.Unlike the first interview, where everyone entered in pairs and took turns across a single session, today was more personal. More direct.The room where the interview would be conducted remained the same. It had the same long conference table, same tall-backed cha