Reborn with Nothing but My Farm and Vengeance in the Apocalypse

Chapter 530: Chapter 530: Internal Appointment

Melody Summers didn’t expect to see Joanne White here and was taken aback for a moment.

But Joanne White had already walked over. She gave Nina Summers a slight smile and said, "Excuse me, are you Miss Summers? The interview team is waiting for you. You should hurry inside!"

From an angle the security guard couldn’t see, Joanne White gave Melody Summers and Nina Summers a subtle wink.

Melody Summers understood the situation. Without another word, she gently pushed Nina Summers inside, saying, "Go on, hurry up. I’ll wait for you out here!"

This time, the security guard didn’t dare to stop them. He surreptitiously glanced at the employee ID hanging around Joanne White’s neck, and his previously arrogant demeanor instantly deflated.

He rubbed his nose awkwardly, pretending the incident had never happened, and slunk away with his head down.

Watching the guard’s retreating figure, Joanne let out a soft "hmph" and whispered in Melody’s ear, "Don’t waste your energy getting mad at people like him. In a few days, I’ll get some colleagues to file a few complaints. He won’t last long before he’s fired!"

Melody nodded. She glanced down at the ID card on Joanne’s chest and asked curiously, "You’re working at Rhodes now, too?"

Joanne smiled, pressing her lips together. "Yeah, but I’m just a temp for now. Who knows if I’ll get a chance to become a permanent employee."

Even though it was a temporary position with the worst pay and benefits, over fourteen hundred people had competed for it. It was no small feat for Joanne to have fought her way through all of them.

Fortunately, the job paid very well. The salary was substantial, and she received plenty of benefits each month. Since starting, Joanne had already received distributions of rice, cooking oil, and even mushrooms from a recent bumper crop at the cultivation base. If she got a chance to become a permanent employee, she would get even more supplies.

Thinking of the good days to come, Joanne’s heart swelled with delight. She gave Melody’s arm a gentle tug and said with a smile, "As soon as I get paid next month, I’ll transfer you the rent money!"

Melody nodded. Seeing Joanne’s rosy cheeks and vibrant expression, she couldn’t help but marvel. ’Joanne really is incredible.’

’In just a few short months, she’s already bounced back from the trauma of her miscarriage and losing both of her parents. It’s like no matter how great the ordeal, as long as it doesn’t kill her, she can always pick herself up and find a way to live on...’

...

Meanwhile, Nina Summers was sitting in the reception room, clutching a number tag and waiting for her turn to be interviewed.

The vast reception room was filled with people, all waiting to be interviewed. Some chatted in small groups, while others were cramming at the last minute, anxiously flipping through the materials in their hands.

Nina Summers sat alone in a corner, staring blankly at the interview materials in her hands, but not a single word registered.

She appeared calm on the surface, but only she knew how nervous she truly was. ’My heart is beating so fast, it feels like it’s going to leap right out of my chest!’

She tried to take deep breaths, repeatedly telling herself not to be nervous, but unfortunately, the self-reassurance had no effect.

As the sound of her own heartbeat grew louder and louder in her ears, Nina desperately wanted to flee. ’If this keeps up,’ she feared, ’my heart’s going to explode and I’ll be carted off by paramedics!’

Just as Nina Summers was trying to discreetly wipe her sweaty palms on her pants, a voice suddenly sounded beside her ear. "Hi there! Are you also here to interview for the assistant position?"

The voice was sweet, carrying an inexplicable, calming quality.

Nina Summers looked up to see a young woman standing before her. She had a youthful, doll-like face and a pair of clear, bright, almond-shaped eyes that gave her an instantly approachable air.

Seeing the woman looking at her with those smiling, almond-shaped eyes, Nina nodded, slightly dazed, and answered in a hoarse voice, "...Yes..."

The doll-faced young woman gave a sweet smile. She casually sat down next to Nina and said, "What a coincidence! I’m here for the assistant position, too. Let me introduce myself. I’m Chloe Sharp."

Nina, still trying to calm her racing heart, could only manage a weak nod at Chloe Sharp, unable to reply. It wasn’t that she was being cold; she was just so nervous that she had no desire to speak.

Chloe didn’t seem to find Nina’s silence awkward at all. On the contrary, she leaned in enthusiastically. "So, are you here because you got an interview notice, or is your spot already secured?"

"...Secured?" Nina was completely bewildered. "What do you mean, secured?"

Seeing her reaction, Chloe got a look on her face that said, ’I knew it.’

She suppressed a smile, leaned close to Nina’s ear, and whispered conspiratorially, "You mean you don’t know? The person they’re going to hire for this assistant job has already been chosen. Bringing all of us in for interviews is just for show!"

"You know how it is. These companies and research institutes in the Reconstruction Zone all cooperate with the government. They post public job openings to show the government they’re ’committed’ to solving unemployment. But in reality, a lot of the spots are already filled internally. They just call people in for interviews to go through the motions."

At this, Chloe tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and sighed with feigned helplessness. "I just came to get some interview experience. For ordinary people like us, these jobs are completely out of reach!"

Hearing Chloe’s words, Nina was stunned. ’So that’s how it is?!’

’So today’s interview is just a formality? No matter how well I do, I won’t get hired?’

Nina blinked slowly. ’Well, if that’s the case...’ she thought.

’...then what is there to be nervous about?!’

’If the outcome is already set, then it doesn’t matter how I perform!’

’I don’t have to worry about my performance affecting the outcome at all!’

Once she realized this, Nina’s heart rate began to steady. The heart that had been about to pound its way out of her chest slowly settled back into place, and the chaotic mess in her mind gradually cleared.

She had memorized a lot of material for the interview, but her anxiety had made her forget everything. Now, it was all slowly coming back to her.

Chloe, unaware of Nina’s internal monologue, saw her dumbfounded expression and knew she had fallen for the lie. ’Idiot,’ she cursed inwardly.

’These public recruitment events are all recorded from start to finish. How could there be so many fixed positions?’

’The only reason I lied was to compete for this job. Naturally, I have to use every trick in the book to psyche out my rivals, and Nina isn’t the first one I’ve tried it on.’

’Nina, and all the others I’ve psyched out, are all idiots. I just say whatever, and they actually believe it...’

At that thought, a flicker of imperceptible contempt crossed Chloe’s wide, almond-shaped eyes. She decided to deliver the final blow to completely rattle Nina and make her give up.

She leaned in and whispered in Nina’s ear, "I also heard the main interviewer this time is a woman with a terrible temper, like she’s going through menopause or something! A lot of the people who went in before came out crying after she was done with them!"

"Apparently, she doesn’t give you any time to think. The second you say something she doesn’t like, she cuts you off and tells you to get lost!"