*****Some applicants instinctively tightened their grips around their clothes, while others glanced discreetly at their neighbors, silently wondering whether the guard had discovered something concerning in their applications.The uncertainty was almost worse than being told they had failed.However, the two lead guards seemed completely indifferent to the applicants’ growing panic.They didn't bother explaining the expression that had appeared on their faces.If anything, after the first lead guard finished scanning through the stack, he simply handed the applications to the second guard.The second man accepted them and began looking through the forms himself.As his eyes moved down the pages, his expression gradually changed as well.A faint look of disappointment mixed with displeasure appeared on his face, as though the contents of the applications had somehow fallen far below his expectations.Yet, despite seeing the applicants practically holding their breaths in anticipation,

*****One after another, the candidates entered the office, endured their interviews, and eventually emerged carrying expressions ranging from relief to disappointment.Some looked as though they had been granted a second chance at life, while others appeared as if the interviewers had personally informed them that their careers had died before they had even begun.Time passed.Eventually, there were only two applicants left in the waiting area.Nicholas and Fatty Benny.By then, the atmosphere had changed considerably.The room was no longer filled with the same suffocating tension that had dominated the beginning.Instead, different expressions could be seen across the remaining faces.One person looked pale, another looked disappointed, someone else appeared quietly hopeful, and a few had completely unreadable expressions.Everyone had experienced the interview differently.Finally…“Benny Humphrey.”The moment his name was called, Fatty Benny slowly rose from his chair.And immedi

*****At the same time, the contrast between Benny's current appearance and his usual shameless confidence only made the entire situation even more hilarious.Earlier, he had proudly introduced himself as a legendary ladies' man.Now he sat with his head lowered, his round face burning crimson, looking like a child who had accidentally set the classroom on fire and was hoping nobody would notice the smoke.For perhaps the first time since he had met Nicholas, Fatty Benny genuinely wished he could disappear.‘If the ground could kindly crack open right now,’ he silently begged, ‘I promise I'll never complain about earthquakes again.’Unfortunately, the floor showed absolutely no intention of cooperating.Meanwhile, the applicants had absolutely no intention of sparing him either.One joke followed another, and one burst of laughter followed the next.Eventually, several people's attention shifted from Benny toward Nicholas."Tsk... what an unlucky fellow," someone sighed dramatically w

*****‘Previous Occupation: Soldier.’As soon as he read this, the atmosphere inside the office instantly shifted.His pupils contracted sharply, and the irritation on his face vanished completely, replaced by surprise.He blinked several times, then slowly, he raised his head toward Nicholas.He stared at him for several seconds, then he lowered his head to the application.He looked at Nicholas again, and… almost exactly like his partner had done moments earlier, he began to alternate between Nicholas and the paper.Watching both men repeatedly compare his face with the paper, Nicholas couldn't help but become mildly bewildered.His brows rose ever so slightly.‘Is there really something that shocking written on that form?’ he wondered.Before he could think further, however, one of the guards suddenly slammed a palm onto the desk."Do you know," he barked coldly, glaring straight at Nicholas, "that impersonating military personnel is a serious criminal offense?"His eyes narrowed d

*****The unmistakable sound of a door opening echoed through the waiting area.The abrupt noise sliced through the heated atmosphere like a sharp blade, and… everyone instinctively froze.The argument came to an abrupt halt.Before they even realized what they were doing, every head turned toward the source of the sound.At that exact moment, the office door where the interviews were being conducted slowly swung open, and… Nicholas stepped out.For an instant, no one reacted.The waiting room became so silent that even the humming of the air conditioner seemed unusually loud.The applicants merely stared at Nicholas, their expressions blank, almost as though their minds had failed to process what they were seeing.Several long seconds passed before someone finally muttered in a dazed voice,"Didn't... he just go inside?"The words snapped a few people back to reality.They blinked repeatedly before instinctively glancing at the wall clock, then someone's eyes widened."He wasn't even