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Chapter Two: Interview Day

He is wearing a dark, custom-branded suit with a black silk shirt. His neatly styled hair highlighted his cold, dark eyes.

His gaze swept over them, and the room instantly went chilly. His gaze lands on Orion with sharp focus. Orion swallows from the pressure gaze. Composing himself as sweat glided down his back.

When the man averts his gaze, Orion's nerves relax, releasing the breath he is holding, and he sinks back into his chair.

"Next," the man said in a low baritone, his voice cold, sending shivers down their backs. The unlucky person he called stood and followed him in.

They both entered the room, and the door slammed shut. The tension in the room dissipates. The rest of them began to breathe in relief. My God, he is just as dominating as my brother Zein.

Speaking of the devil, his phone vibrates again, this time stronger. It is a call. He frowns, sliding the phone out of his pocket to read the name on it. With a sigh, he swiped left, declining, and locked his phone, only for it to ring again.

He grits his teeth and picks up.

Hissing into his receiver, he mutters. "Are you doing this on purpose? I'm at an interview!"

The line is quiet. Orion heard his low breaths and frowned. "Hello?"

"Everyone wanted to wish you luck," his brother replies, his voice sounding like a distant void, dark, low, and resonating.

"Oh!" Orion says, his irritation fading. "Is that all?" He rubbed his temples, feeling a slight headache forming.

Talking to his siblings sometimes felt like a taxing brain exercise; he is either given love or stressed. "I read them already, and you guys spoke with me last night, remember?"

"Hmm. Bye," Zein grunts and hangs up.

Orion's brows dipped lower as he stared at his phone. He may or may not have pissed off his brother, and there is only one way to find out. He opened his contacts and quickly messaged one of his favorite brothers.

Ky,

Hey, Z just called, which is weird, because he doesn't make calls. He said he wanted to wish me luck on behalf of the others, and I kind of snapped. If he is pissed, tell him I'm sorry.

He hit send, and immediately the reply came back.

Hey, yeah, he is alright. He's beside me here. I told him to make the call since you didn't reply in the group. It's alright, reply to him nicely next time.

Orion sent him a smiley emoji, turned off his phone, and slipped it back into his pocket. He took a deep breath, slipping into focus, going through everything he had read and studied on the company.

He had a photographic memory, which made it easier to recall the notes despite the exhaustive studying he had done.

One by one, the applicants were called into the room. Some left with tense expressions, while others came out with a smile. It became his turn. He got up, striding toward the door with overwhelming confidence.

He knocks, hearing a low say, "Come in." Orion opens the door. The room is bright, painted in the typical office white color.

Aside from that, the room is large, the size of a meeting room with a wide, long desk in the middle where three people sit. The intimidating man in the dark suit sat to his left.

Orion's eyes shifted from him and landed on the other two men. The first one, to his right, has a relaxed expression. He has brown hair with some grey on the sides and warm, calm green eyes.

He is wearing a grey suit over a grey shirt, and his demeanor is composed.

The other man, seated in the middle, is young—almost, if not exactly, the same age as the man in the dark suit. They are both handsome, with independently striking features.

This man has dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is also wearing a dark suit with a white shirt tucked into similar pants. He carried an aura similar to the grey-eyed man, but he was less intimidating.

Orion stood in the middle, waiting for whatever instructions or questions they would throw at him.

"Sit down, Mr Orion," the man in the middle spoke. His voice is smooth, with a magnetic lull to it, but Orion is sure that if he got angry, his voice could shift to a harsher tone.

Orion politely accepts, "Thank you, sir," and takes his seat.

The cold, dark eyes immediately follow his actions. The intimidating grey-eyed man observed him from the corner, his stare growing colder and deeper each minute.

Orion did his best not to squirm. This must be the tactic they used to interview others. A form of pressure test. It's annoying, but I can live with it. He stared at the man in the middle, whose gaze swept over him before he picked up Orion's file and began reading. The older man on his right did the same but expressed his surprise as he read Orion's resume.

After a few minutes, the older man nodded, looking at Orion. Orion meets his gaze calmly, impressing the older man.

"Well, I must say, this is quite..." He flips the file, checking the contents, his impressed expression showing again. "...the resume for someone your age. I'm quite impressed."

Orion nods curtly, appreciating his words. He turns to look at the man in the middle, waiting for his input. The middleman assessed him once again, his gaze warmer this time.

"You have quite the certificates and awards here, Mr Orion. What can N Corps offer you? You seem to be the most overqualified asset here."

The older man chuckled at the middle man's words. "Not to mention all the double honors he has! At this age, you already have four PhDs—impressive for a twenty-two-year-old." He added, looking at Orion with mirth.

"I have had the opportunity to study at these schools and hone what I am taught, and let myself experience it as well," Orion states. "N Corps is the new phase of the world, with its fast technology and medical research. I believe I will be able to make an impact in whatever role I'm put into. I want to walk the next step with N Corporation."

The room is silent after his short speech, igniting a nervous feeling in Orion's chest. Business isn't really his strong suit, but Orion has every reason to be here.

"What exactly are these 'steps' you are going to make?" the intimidating man finally spoke. "The way I see it, we are doing a good job, so kindly tell us... your steps."

The scalding intensity of his gaze made Orion lower his own. He scrambled his thoughts for the beautiful teachings his sisters and brothers had given him about business, and for his research analysis on the company.

He found his answer and looked up. The men wait for his reply, and he delivers.

"Indeed, the company has been moving forward since it started. The benefits, along with projects, have been spectacular. But the company still lags in foreign deals. And if I'm clear, the corporation wants to dabble in transportation and construction projects..."

"...The only way to do that is to influence those areas, create contacts, and set up profitable project links. Projects aren't enough, however. Interactions and language matter most, and this has been a shortcoming for the company. This has caused projects to fall through. I've handled planning reports and project analysis in my previous company, and the turnout is spectacular. Hence, my opinion on helping the company move forward."