I Sell Bottled Water for Gold in Another World!

"Whether considering the level of university prestige or academic qualification level this handsome fellow is absolutely no match for me."

"It seems this person represents nothing to fear. He merely possesses good looks, but good looks would not take you far in this money seeking world."

Karna thought to himself with growing confidence after thinking about it. His ego had fully recovered.

But still no one likes a man more handsome than himself...at least not Karna. It was a matter of male pride.

He wanted to eliminate Alex from serious competition entirely leaving no chance at luck. No room for error.

Just as he was forming plans in his mind to subtly undermine this competitor...

"Mr. Karna your turn for the interview has arrived."

An interviewer emerged and called his name.

"Shit...Count yourself lucky man."

Karna stood up confidently. His moment had finally come.

At this precise moment two different people stood simultaneously. Both rose from their seats.

The interviewer frowned with confusion "Which Karna am I calling? You two share the same name. I am specifically referring to the Mr. Karna with the doctoral degree."

"That would be me," another candidate stated. This was an arrogant middle-aged man who held his head high with supreme confidence. He adjusted his tie smugly.

Karna Rawat could only stare in disbelief. His mouth hung open slightly.

It was not him being called after all. There was another Karna here. Another more qualified Karna.

He looked embarrassed and sat back down in his original seat feeling deflated. His confidence evaporated instantly.

To ease his awkwardness Karna candidly shared his research with Alex. Perhaps talking would make him feel better.

"Brother let me inform you. This company is riding the tremendous wave of the artificial intelligence industry.

It is bound to grow exponentially larger in the future. We absolutely must seize this opportunity. From what I have gathered through my network this interview attracted many hidden talents.

From my careful observations the interview order is determined by educational background ranked from highest to lowest.

Those candidates with superior educational qualifications are interviewed first."

He spoke with the authority of someone who had done his homework thoroughly. His voice carried expertise.

"I understand now."

Alex suddenly realized the system and nodded with comprehension. So that was how they organized things.

He had to admit something.

The slightly overweight fellow seated before him was still reasonably perceptive and observant. Credit where credit was due.

"Quite strict indeed."

Alex commented neutrally without much emotion.

Karna laughed with barely restrained arrogance "Of course it is strict!

Otherwise do you imagine this company would attract so many highly qualified candidates for interviews? Let me inform you that as long as you successfully get hired the annual salary starts at three hundred thousand dollars minimum."

The figure rolled off his tongue with practiced ease. He had researched the compensation extensively.

At this point Karna glanced at the other job seekers gathered throughout the corridor.

He smiled with smug superiority "I estimate that everyone here for interviews possesses advanced education. Nearly everyone else holds postgraduate degrees. You represent the only undergraduate bachelor candidate present."

Karna's facial expression practically screamed "you are inferior" without actually saying those words aloud. His eyes said everything his mouth did not.

Alex could only shake his head internally. The arrogance was thick.

So that was the entire point of this conversation.

It turned out this person was simply showing off his supposed superiority. Making himself feel better.

However the very next moment something unexpected occurred that would shatter his worldview.

That same interviewer walked back out. She consulted her clipboard and called out "Mr. Alex your turn has arrived."

"Understood."

Alex stood up smoothly and walked toward the interview room. His movements were casual and unhurried.

"You are Alex?!"

Karna's eyes widened with shock and embarrassment. His jaw literally dropped.

Just moments ago he had confidently stated that interviews were conducted strictly in order of academic qualifications. He had been so certain.

Yet the result contradicted everything he claimed.

The very next candidate called was Alex himself. The undergraduate. The supposedly unqualified one.

The metaphorical slap to his face arrived faster than a tornado.

It made his cheeks burn with humiliation. His ears turned red.

Karna muttered to himself with confusion "This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I am a Cambridge graduate student!

Why would they not interview me first instead of this undergraduate student? Why is this happening?"

His voice cracked slightly. The injustice felt overwhelming to his proud heart.

Other interviewers also simply stared at him entering the room. Whispers began spreading through the corridor.

----------

Inside the Interview Room

Alex entered the room calmly. His posture was relaxed but professional.

Four interviewers were seated behind a long table. The setup was intimidating by design.

These four interviewers were led by a senior executive. He was a balding man wearing black-rimmed glasses. He appeared to be in his early fifties and served as the Human Resources Director. His name tag read "Director Sharma."

Whether any interviewee passed or failed depended entirely upon his final decision. He wielded absolute power in hiring matters.

Two days previously the vice president had attended that gathering at Mr. Raghavan's villa.

As soon as he returned to the company he had informed the HR staff about critical information in a private meeting.

Alex very likely represented Mr. Raghavan's future son-in-law. This was sensitive information.

Although still in the probationary evaluation period and currently just a security guard Alex had excellent chances of being approved permanently!

Once he received official approval Mr. Raghavan only had one daughter.

Therefore this security guard would become the heir to the entire business group in the future. The implications were staggering.

Furthermore President Raghavan was always decisive and extremely strict in his business dealings. His reputation for harshness was legendary. But he had behaved completely differently with this security guard. He had spoken extensively and shown unusual patience beyond anything they had witnessed before.

What did this critical detail reveal?

This demonstrated that President Raghavan valued this young man tremendously! Perhaps even loved him like a son already.

These four interviewers had carefully noted the interviewee's name in advance.

Based on the vice president's description of the security guard as extraordinarily handsome this particular interviewee fit the description perfectly. Every detail matched.

Without any doubt whatsoever he was the one they had been briefed about.

There existed high probability that the person seated before them was the exact young man that President Raghavan wanted to assess and evaluate. They could not afford mistakes.

Thinking about this realization they suddenly felt tremendous pressure building in their chests!

The company offered excellent benefits and generous compensation.

The work environment was pleasant. Everyone earned hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. They certainly did not want to lose these prestigious positions. Jobs like this were rare.

Therefore the HR Director's very first question was unusual and completely unexpected.

"Hello Mr. Alex. Do you currently have a girlfriend? If you do have a girlfriend please tell us what her surname is?"

The HR Director asked this with obvious nervousness. His hands trembled slightly as he held his pen.

The other three interviewers reacted with wide eyes.

No wonder he served as HR Director!

The question he asked possessed tremendous strategic value! It would confirm everything immediately.

Alex responded with mild confusion. His eyebrows rose slightly.

He did not bother concealing anything. He answered honestly without hesitation.

"I do happen to have a girlfriend currently, her name is Riya and her surname is Raghavan."

The HR Director's eyes widened dramatically. His pen dropped onto the table.

The three other interviewers reacted with visible shock.

President Raghavan's surname was Raghavan too. Obviously no one can deny it now.

His daughter would naturally also bear the surname Raghavan!

This meant the person seated before them genuinely was the future son-in-law that Mr. Raghavan wanted to examine and test.

As a direct result the entire atmosphere suddenly shifted dramatically and completely.

The HR Director and interviewers abandoned their serious expressions immediately. They adopted warm smiles and expressed tremendous goodwill. Their body language opened up.

They decided that regardless of circumstances they absolutely must ensure this young man passed the evaluation! Failure was not an option for them.

Unexpectedly Alex stated plainly "I do not think I am particularly well-suited for this position. I lack expertise in artificial intelligence. I do not know much about the field."

His honesty was disarming and concerning.

The interviewers suddenly felt immense pressure building!

If Alex failed to pass this interview they might face his resentment later. That would mean their careers were essentially finished. They would be blamed for the failure.

The HR Director and other interviewers looked at each other with growing panic and stress! Their eyes communicated silent desperation.

How could they pass someone who openly admitted he was unqualified? But how could they fail the boss's future son-in-law?

The dilemma was impossible to solve.