Chapter 158 - The art of double-speak

Sitting in the interview room, Bob furrowed his brows at Ben's "survivalist achievements," and his "modesty."

However, Jacob was Bob's senior so he didn't dwell on it. "Okay… Benjamin, then perhaps you could clarify these other achievements:

Dropping off the kids,

Carpooling the kids…"

...

Jacob answered for him. "Dropping off and carpooling children… Great! That shows he was trusted in the community!"

...

'Those were both jizz related...' Ben scratched his face. 'I guess I was trusted in the c.u.m-unity...'

Bob continued. "Then, how about:

Green-Hat Delivery Service,

Gullet…Inspector?"

…

Jacob was blinking over and over as he stared at the paper…

Then, he spoke. "Bob, isn't it clear? This young man is an entrepreneur! He was too modest to put his own projects as work experience!"

…

The old man read over the achievements again. "A delivery service and even an inspector…of gullets?" He looked at Ben, before continuing. "Is that some new gizmo the kids play with?"

…

Ben returned a hesitant nod. 'It could be considered that...'

Jacob's eyebrows rose. "Tell me later where I can find one... I need to get my grandson a birthday present soon. Is it suitable for him?"

Ben spread a strained smile. "He'll love it…"

Jacob laughed. "That's great! It's impressive you're a technologist at such a young age!"

Bob pointed at the resume. "Skeetlance Photographer…"

Jacob jumped on it. " Skeetlance photographer? Is that a new urban style? …I haven't heard of it, but photography is a useful skill to have in this industry!"

Bob scratched his head as he continued down the list. "Throat…Yogurt…Vendor?"

…

Ben stared at all this with a stony face. He was waiting for the moment this interview blew up…

Jacob sighed. "Throat yogurt vendor… They say the frozen yogurt boom was a fad, and I heard lots of people in that industry lost money. So, Benjamin, I won't ask you about the details, but I just want you to remember--it's good to try things when young… If you want to sell throat yogurt, I say great!"

...

Bob was rubbing his temples. He didn't know why but a headache was coming on… Exhaling, he read the next item. "Cuckmaster…Chief…of Netori?"

…

Jacob shook his head at Bob in disapproval. "Haven't you been listening Bob? Survival cooking!"

…

Bob was cringing subconsciously…as if something was off but he wasn't sure what… 'These survivalists sure have a weird naming sense…'

Even though it may have seemed Jacob and Bob were being too casual, in truth, they held no hope Ben would get this job. They were only trying to make him feel better out of respect for Bob's friend. Based on Paul's reaction earlier, he would veto Ben's application later. Since that was the case, they weren't taking it too seriously. Instead, why not compliment Ben a bit and cheer him up after that verbal berating he took? He was a kid after all…

Jacob smiled at Ben. "Very impressive."

"Thank you…Jacob." Chef Ben gulped.

Bob's eyes twitched. 'Okay…but what is Post-Apocalyptic Currency?'

…

Yet, he moved on to the next topic. He didn't want to get berated by his senior anymore… "Okay Benjamin, I only have one last question about your resume. Please explain the meaning of this item you put under awards: Titled Poison Dragon…"

…

Jacob waited with bright eyes. He didn't know what the f*ck that meant.

...

Ben cleared his throat. "It's a um…class…a class title for…debate."

…

Jacob and Bob looked at each other before Jacob turned to Ben. "Sounds fierce..."

Ben raised his chin a bit at that. He held genuine pride as the poison dragon. That was the last known sighting of humble Ben…

Bob continued. "All right. I have no further doubts about your resume. Let's move on. I'd like to ask you some questions."

When they moved to the next part of the interview, Jacob and Bob felt it would end soon. 'These should be much too difficult for this young man...'

The woman and Paul, who'd also been ignoring everything, glanced at Ben now, showing expressions of disdain because they believed the same thing. They even shifted in their seats, as if expecting they'd be getting up soon. However, Bob tried to follow the proper procedure because he didn't want Ben to return and tell Professor Harisson they bullied him.

'He's very young. Is he even aware how the industry works?' Observing Ben, although Bob didn't criticize him in the open, he still possessed the same reservations as Paul. "Benjamin, since you've recently arrived in New York, do you have a basic understanding of the media industry?"

At this question, Ben smiled with confidence. "Absolutely…" Media was his lifeblood. 'I know all about media—everything there is to know about the top 1000 waifus…'

His confident body language was the key…

Bob proceeded to ask standard interview questions about Ben's skills and experiences, and his knowledge regarding the company and media industry. "What kind of experience do you have writing commentaries or summaries using computers? What is your process?"

Ben thought for a few moments. For the following questions, he decided to use a technique he'd learned at university called double-speak: telling the truth while hiding the genuine details. "If I view a piece of noteworthy information, I focus on its key aspects, highlighting the central point for my readers. My process is to frame my writing to get an emotional reaction from them."

Jacob nodded. "A good approach. Focusing on the central aspect is crucial, and emotions capture attention."

Ben was thinking of a 4chan post where a guy fell off a skateboard onto a railing, smashing his balls…

Back then, Ben's reply about the central point was, "D*ck broke?"

….

Bob continued. "Walk me through how you examine news items in order to determine topics to address."

Ben responded. "I look for points that would interest the masses. If I determine it's engaging according to what's popular in media, I focus more on the story." He understood what was newsworthy. 'I look for tits, ass, and people getting injured.'

...

"Share an experience in which you successfully shared a difficult piece of information."

Ben recalled when he met Tyler in the gym, won their bet, and made sure Tyler remembered that he was his father… "First, I checked if the receiver was aware of the information. (He checked if Tyler remembered to call him daddy.)

…

When he wasn't, I communicated the information in plain words (Ben told him he was his daddy.)

...

I then provided supporting evidence. (He mentioned a birth certificate.)

...

After, the receiver showed an emotional reaction to the information, and tried to cause a conflict, so I stepped out of the way so it wouldn't escalate. (He stepped out of the way to let him crash into a weight rack.)

...

I then left, allowing the person to absorb the information, and checked with them later when things calmed down, verifying the information was correctly accepted." (He faceslapped him again later so he wouldn't forget who his daddy was)

...

Jacob and Bob nodded at each other. 'He has good communication skills...'

Bob moved on to the next one within this theme. "Share another experience where you dealt with a difficult person and how you handled the situation."

Ben thought back to when Lia's boyfriend stole his woman at a bar. "A competitor stole my resources. Yet, I didn't want to escalate things, so I asked for support from above. (He summoned Truck-kun.)

...

After that senior moderated the situation, I reported the facts. (He trash-talked him to a police officer.)

...

In the end, we came to a win-win resolution. (He nutted on Lia and the boyfriend kept his life.)

…

Jacob and Bob were thinking the same thing: 'Mature conflict resolution…'

...

Ben proceeded to answer their questions with well-thought-out responses, making even the woman and the Paul look up from their phones several times. Ben's competency wasn't too unusual though. His stats of 7 charisma, 6 knowledge, and 6 communication were above what a standard undergrad internship candidate would have.

Although the interviewers still didn't plan to hire him, he was winning their appreciation. Bob and Jacob thought that if they gave him a few years, he might become a good prospect.

However, Paul didn't agree, and was growing tired of this dragging on. 'He's answering the questions well but this boy has no genuine experience with media. I need to make that clear to terminate this.' He intervened with his own questions. "I'd like to ask something." He glanced at Ben with the same undisguised contempt. "What role does media play in people's lives? And what's the biggest challenge facing the modern media industry today?"

At this two-part question, Bob frowned. 'He's a freshman applying for an internship. What would he understand about the challenges of the industry?'

Jacob also sighed. 'You can't expect a boy to understand the role of media in women's lives. Such a philosophical question isn't something a teenager can give a satisfactory answer to. That's why we never ask these kinds of questions in internsh.i.p.s.'

They knew it was unfair, but they also understood Paul's position. What's more is they felt they'd given Ben enough attention to show respect to Bob and his friend. It was time to end this.

As for Ben, he knitted his eyebrows in thought. He knew double-speak wouldn't pass this time. Using his new Elementary Body Language Reading, he also understood the dynamic of the room. 'This is a killing blow… If I can't provide an exemplary answer to this, my interview will be over…'

His mind struggled to find a way, any way, to grasp this opportunity…

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