Chapter 1Cherry-Picking the Truth

I was in the middle of buying cherries when my friend called, saying her company was urgently hiring and I needed to come in for an interview immediately.

Pressed for time, I rushed over with the cherries still in hand.

Before going into the interview, I specifically asked the receptionist to keep an eye on them for me.

But when I came out, I found a group of people standing at the front desk, sharing my cherries.

When I confronted them, all I got was dismissive ridicule:

"New hires should bring gifts, isn't that just standard etiquette?"

"So stingy. If you actually get the job, you're going to have a hard time here."

Just then, my friend came over. I asked her to back me up, but instead, she said:

"It's just treating future colleagues to some cherries. If you can't even figure that out, how are you going to survive in the corporate world? You really don't understand how things work."

* * *

I picked up Sarah’s call right as I was paying for a bag of premium cherries.

"Stella, where are you? It's an emergency!"

Before I could even say hello, she launched into a rapid-fire explanation:

"Our Creative Department has an urgent opening. The pay is amazing. I recommended you directly, and the director loved your resume. He wants to know if you can come in for an interview right now."

Sarah landed a job as an HR specialist at a major tech firm right after graduation. Everyone in our dorm was envious.

I was surprised and excited. "Right now?"

"Yes, right now! This position is a golden ticket. If you miss this window, it's gone. Get over here ASAP. Grab this opportunity, and we can hang out every day again."

Her tone was urgent, but she added a playful note at the end:

"Plus, this counts towards my KPI, so don't embarrass me, okay?"

I laughed. "I won't let you down."

Hanging up, I looked at the cherries in my hand. No time to go home and drop them off.

Whatever. The interview was more important.

Thirty minutes later, I stood panting in the lobby of NovaTech.

Walking into an interview with a grocery bag felt unprofessional, so I approached the front desk.

"Hi, I'm here for a last-minute interview. Could I possibly leave this here for a bit?"

The receptionist was friendly and took the bag with a smile. "Of course."

She quickly wrote my last name and the time on a sticky note, slapped it on the bag, and set it aside.

Relieved, I snapped a quick photo of the bag and texted Sarah.

[I'm here! I left a box of cherries at the front desk. Keep an eye on them for me~]

Sarah replied instantly: [Don't worry. Good luck!]