Fist of Healing

At 1:45 PM, in the lounge on the 13th floor of the Vertex building.

Six young men and women sat quietly on one side of a conference table. They were all dressed stylishly and held a stack of resumes in their hands. They stared at the clock on the wall with a mix of anticipation and anxiety, occasionally glancing at their competitors with friendly smiles but cautious eyes.

They were all here to apply for the same position, assistant to the General Manager of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. The job offered an annual salary of $80,000, which wasn't particularly high, but it was attractive to these six candidates.

The General Manager, Areli Fanshaw, was not only beautiful but also highly capable. At just twenty-four years old, she had been appointed as the General Manager of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals' Whiteville branch, overseeing more than five hundred employees. Working under her would provide invaluable experience and learning opportunities.

Thus, they all hoped to pass this round of interviews.

The interview was scheduled for 2 PM, but no one arrived exactly on time. The six candidates had arrived half an hour early and were directed to wait there by the receptionist.

At 1:50 PM, footsteps sounded outside the door, and the six candidates perked up. The glass door swung open with a clatter.

Their eyes lit up instantly, followed by expressions of astonishment and disbelief.

A young man in his early twenties walked in, wearing a red T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. He held a briefcase in his right hand and a carrot in his left, munching on it as he leisurely made his way to the head of the table. His appearance and behavior were quite jarring.

Before anyone could react, he tossed a set of car keys onto the table with a clatter.

The keys sparkled under the light, Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes, dazzling the eyes of the six candidates.

Next, he pulled out a stack of cash from his pocket and slammed it onto the table with a thud.

Who was this guy? He looked like a laborer but carried himself with an air of wealth. The six candidates were bewildered. Could he be a rich spoiled, rich brat who was in the wrong room?

The young man in red surveyed them with authority and spoke crisply, "Hello everyone. My name is Darnell Halford. I am today's interviewer."

"If you pass the interview, you stay. If not, take $50 for travel expenses and leave."

As everyone stared at him in surprise, wondering how he could be the interviewer, Darnell pointed to the first candidate. "Javon Birch, introduce yourself."

Hearing his name accurately called out, Javon, sitting at the far left, jolted and immediately responded,

"My name is Javon Birch. I graduated from the University of Morbridge with a master's degree..."

"Stop!"

Before he could finish his introduction, Darnell interrupted bluntly, "Your education is too high. You might have unrealistic expectations."

"We can't afford you here, and you wouldn't be content working here."

He bit off another piece of carrot and continued, "You can leave now."

Javon was taken aback. "Leave now?"

Darnell glared at him: "Three thousand dollars a month. Take it or leave it."

Javon fell silent instantly. Three thousand dollars wouldn't even cover his rent. He gathered his things and left with his head down but hesitated before taking $50 from the table.

Darnell didn't even look at him as he turned his attention to the second candidate, a very fashionable and beautiful woman, and asked while munching on his carrot,

"Diana Hake, do you have any experience in this field?"

The beautiful woman immediately flashed a charming smile and replied softly:

"Interviewer, I have three years of experience. I can start working immediately without any training."

"Not qualified!"

Darnell dismissed her outright. "We're looking for an assistant who is a beginner. With three years of experience, your mindset is already fixed. There will be conflicts with our corporate culture. Leave."

Diana opened her mouth to argue but was too angered by Darnell's arrogance. She huffed, "If this place doesn't want me, there are other places that will."

With that said, she grabbed her handbag and strutted out without even glancing at the money on the table.

Darnell still didn't look at her as he turned to the third candidate, a bespectacled man, and bit off another piece of carrot.

"Rodney, you're not qualified either. Leave!"

The bespectacled man's mouth dropped open. "Mr. Halford, I haven't even introduced myself yet! How can you say I'm not qualified?"

Darnell took a step forward and looked down at him. "Although we're hiring an assistant, we need someone who can see everything clearly and think ahead. You're nearsighted with such thick lenses. Minus 6 diopters of myopia, I guess? If your glasses fall off, you won't even find your way around. How can you see everything clearly and shield the General Manager from trouble?"

Rodney protested indignantly, "That's discrimination."

Darnell snorted, "Would they hire you as a pilot?"

"Next."

After Rodney adjusted his glasses and left dejectedly, Darnell quickly interviewed two more people. He found their weaknesses and sent them away with sharp words. Finally, he looked at a very handsome and tall young man sitting in the corner. When Darnell's gaze fell upon him, he raised his chin proudly.

"I'm Keith Fletcher from the University of Ostham. I'm in excellent physical condition."

"And I was last year's national runner-up in a boxing match."

"Runner-up?"

Darnell remained unimpressed and sneered, "You're proud of being a runner-up? You're quite vain."

Having finished one carrot already, he mysteriously pulled out another one from somewhere on his person. He wiped it on his clothes twice before taking another bite.

Keith's face changed color as he coldly retorted, "It's just a minor achievement, not worth mentioning, but it should surpass everyone else in this room."

There were only two people in the room. Keith clearly intended to challenge Darnell. "I wonder what achievements you have that are worth mentioning?"

Evidently angered by Darnell's arrogance, even if it meant losing this job, Keith wanted to talk back.

Darnell didn't respond but took out one of the car keys, a BMW key, and crushed it into several pieces with one squeeze.

Keith was stunned on the spot, shocked beyond belief. What kind of human had that strength?

Darnell tossed the shattered pieces into a trash bin with a clang before ordering, "Leave."

Keith stood up silently and left. Besides being shocked by Darnell's abnormal strength, he also feared his status and wealth.

BMW keys cost thousands to replace, and he just crushed it like that.

After these six people left, Darnell exhaled deeply and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 1:55 PM. "Finally settled."

Just as he pulled out a chair to sit down, the soundproof glass door swung open once more. A tall and fashionable woman walked in wearing high heels that clicked against the floor. She had beautifully cut bangs framing her pretty face. Her figure was tall, and her demeanor exuded an aura of professionalism.

She held a stack of documents in her hands. Seeing an almost empty room surprised her greatly.

"Where is everyone?"

She scanned every corner confirming only one person present before looking towards Darnell lounging on a chair drinking water, his attire completely out-of-place, she asked incredulously,

"Where did everyone else go?"

Sitting comfortably on his chair and sipping water, he lazily replied,

"I sent them all away."

The woman exclaimed in disbelief,

"You sent them away? Which department are you from?"

The company was large, where she recently joined, and she didn't know many colleagues, so she assumed the man must pull some strings to join the company. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to send people away like that.

He stretched lazily and replied,

"I'm here for an interview. I'm Darnell Halford. Isn't it time for the interview?"

Then he picked up the carrot and took another bite before confidently adding,

“Trust me. I'm competent.”

The woman stood speechless, staring at the man, unable to utter a word.

Seconds later, she regained composure, her face showing anger. She needed to select someone today under Areli's orders. However, she couldn't believe six candidates painstakingly selected by HR all sent away by Darnell, putting her in the dilemma. When she was about to lash out, her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She answered respectfully,

“Understood.”

Hanging up the phone, the woman looked dazed. She was told that Areli suddenly decided to conduct the interview personally and asked her to bring candidates to her office. What should she do now?

The sound of the biting carrot interrupted her thoughts. The woman stomped her foot and angrily shouted,

“You idiot, you've ruined everything!”

Though angry, she was also curious about how this man managed to send away all the candidates.

Darnell laughed cheerfully,

“Why the sudden rage? Have some carrots and calm down.”

“Shut up!”

The woman suppressed the anger to throw the documents at him and shouted,

“Miss Fanshaw wants a personal interview, but you sent all the candidates away. How am I supposed to explain?

You've ruined my career!”

Hearing this, Darnell delightedly exclaimed,

“Miss Fanshaw's going to interview personally? Great! They're gone, but I'm still here, right?”

He poured a glass of water and handed it over before continuing,

“I'm here for the interview. You take me there, and I'll get the position. You'll be fine.”

The bangs-wearing woman instinctively accepted the glass, her anger slightly dissipating, and replied,

“You? I doubt that.”

Looking at him wearing a red shirt shorts and sneakers and munching carrots, she wondered whether someone like him could pass the interview.

Unfazed by her remark, Darnell cheerfully spun around and said,

“Trust me. I'm sure Areli will hire me.”

His voice was deep, carrying a hint of reassurance, despite his casual demeanor.

When she was about to speak, her phone rang again, and she answered quickly,

“We're coming right away, Miss Fanshaw.”

Gathering the car keys on the table, he took a bite of the remaining carrot and headed towards the door, saying,

“I know where Miss Fanshaw's office is. I can go by myself.”

The woman, looking troubled, stomped her foot and gritted her teeth, muttering,

“I'll take you there.”

Lillian Snow silently vowed if she got fired today, she would definitely beat the man up.