Employee Card, Mission Complete

Serina pushed open the glass door and stepped inside. She hesitated for a moment in front of the desk, waiting for Adam's instructions.

"Please, have a seat," Adam said in a professional tone.

Serina quickly pulled out a chair and sat upright, clearly showing respect and readiness. Adam, on the other hand, hid his nervousness behind a calm expression. To be honest, this was the first time he had ever conducted an interview. Fortunately, he had been through several job interviews in retail companies before, so at least he had a rough idea of the questions to ask.

"Alright, I'll introduce my company first…" Adam began once Serina was seated comfortably.

He took a brief breath, carefully choosing his words to sound convincing. "My company operates in the agricultural sector. Previously, it had been running for a year. However, due to various disruptions, I had to start over in this small place. Our motto is to create job opportunities for everyone."

Adam continued explaining about the factory he had just established. Of course, he left out the fact that the factory was actually granted to him by the system. He crafted his story carefully, ensuring that Serina believed this factory was a well-established business that had been running for over ten years.

"Do you have any questions?" Adam asked, recalling the tone of the HR interviewers he had faced in the past.

Serina looked at him with keen interest, as if trying to assess the truth behind his words. She seemed impressed, though a hint of doubt flickered on her face. After a few seconds of contemplation, she finally asked, "What was the name of your previous company, Boss? Perhaps I've heard of it before."

Adam's heart nearly stopped. Damn… why did she bring up the past? he thought in panic. He had just trapped himself in the scenario he had created.

Quickly adjusting his expression, Adam remained calm even as his mind raced for an answer. "Uhem… well…" He cleared his throat to buy time. "Our company was a specialized agricultural business catering to a select clientele. We weren't widely exposed to the public, and even if our name was mentioned, it was usually altered."

Serina seemed even more curious, but Adam gave her no room to probe further. "That doesn't mean the company was illegal," he added swiftly. "We just maintained a low profile to avoid drawing attention from certain groups. In business, sometimes it's better to operate behind the scenes."

He let out a quiet sigh of relief, grateful that he had managed to fabricate a believable lie in mere seconds. Serina eventually nodded, seemingly accepting his explanation without further inquiry.

"Any other questions?" Adam asked.

"No, Boss," Serina replied enthusiastically.

Adam was momentarily surprised by the change in her expression. Does she think my company was some kind of elite underground business? he wondered. Well, that works in my favor.

"Alright, can you tell me a little about yourself?" Adam gestured for her to begin.

Serina explained that she was just an ordinary housewife. However, she came from a remote island outside of Java. Since childhood, she had helped her family farm and had a basic understanding of agriculture.

"Thank you. You're a great fit for this position," Adam said with a nod.

At that moment, a small bar appeared above Serina's head, filled to about 50 percent.

"Only halfway?" Adam muttered internally. "Do I need to ask more questions?"

He quickly rethought his approach, searching for a question that could accelerate the selection process.

"Do you have any issues with the job requirements?" he finally asked.

"No, my baby will be taken care of by Amel, so it won't interfere with my work," Serina replied confidently.

The bar above her head rose slightly—by about 5 percent.

Adam nodded again, still feeling unsatisfied. His gaze flickered toward the holographic panel on the desk.

"Discipline and hard work…" he murmured, suddenly enlightened.

Adam then explained that work at the factory could be overwhelming, especially during harvest seasons or when production demands increased. Serina listened attentively before nodding with determination. The bar above her head rose significantly.

Next, Adam detailed the factory's regulations and the importance of maintaining strict discipline. Once again, Serina nodded and agreed without hesitation.

[Congratulations. Candidate has passed the selection. Evaluating employee card…]

[Evaluation complete. Employee ranked B.]

"What? A rank up?" Adam was startled. He had just realized that the system evaluated candidates and assigned them ranks. But one question remained in his mind. Where's the Employee Card?

Instinctively, Adam opened the desk drawer and immediately spotted something that caught his attention—a white card with bold black text. He picked it up, running his fingers over the slightly rough surface at the edges. 

[Membership Card - B] 

Name: Serina 

Occupation: Farmer, Wheat Field 

Position: Employee 

Buff: (Farmer's Touch) Plant Growth +20% 

Skill: (Farming - Level 0) 

Adam carefully read the information on the card. "This is it?" he muttered to himself, his brows slightly furrowing. He had expected something more remarkable from a B-rank talent. 

What's the use? What's its function? 

The questions echoed in his mind, as if silently challenging the system for an answer. 

[Talent affects an employee's growth. The higher the rank, the faster and stronger their development will be.] 

Adam gave a slow nod. Just as he had suspected, talent wasn't an instant power-up. Employees still had to progress through effort and time—talent only determined how quickly that progress would happen. 

His gaze shifted to Serina, who was still seated across from him, waiting for his decision. Hope flickered in her eyes, but there was also a trace of nervousness. 

"Serina," Adam said firmly. "You are exactly the kind of candidate we're looking for. Welcome aboard." 

Serina lifted her head, her eyes sparkling. She immediately stood up and shook Adam's hand enthusiastically, a small smile forming on her lips.

"You can start working today," Adam added hastily.

"Today? But it's already late afternoon, Boss," Serina said, confused.

Adam froze. Damn… what time is it? He glanced at his wristwatch, a piece he had looted earlier. "Three o'clock," he muttered in disbelief.

Can I make 2 silver in just 2 hours? he wondered anxiously. Before he could think further, the system panel popped up in front of him.

[Main Mission Complete]

[Host has acquired (10 Silver)]

[Host's rewards are located in the Factory Administrator Panel. Please check your factory.]

Adam's eyes widened. "What? 10 silver?!" He was both stunned and relieved. Damn… I forgot to check my mission rewards, he grumbled internally.

He turned back to Serina and smiled. "Sorry, what I meant was… you can go home for now. You'll start work tomorrow."

"Oh, and this is your Emplyee Card," Adam said, handing her the card. "With this, you have access to the factory."

Serina took the card with gratitude before turning around and heading for the exit.