People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

But once she stepped inside and faced the massive crowd, she suddenly realized that she had perhaps oversimplified the job application process.

Even though she considers herself to be quite capable in her field, she is, after all, an ordinary person (in her own opinion), born into an ordinary family, with no particularly special abilities or characteristics, and doesn't even meet the "preferred requirements" in the job posting, because she still has a year to go before graduation and is not considered a fresh graduate this year.

Add to that the bad luck that, though she wouldn't admit it, might, perhaps, or maybe does play a part, her chances of success are probably very slim.

Anmer felt a chill run down his spine. He glanced down at his resume, gritted his teeth, and joined the queue.

Never mind, we're already here, so we have to give it a try!

Civil engineers never give up!

Chapter 112 My pursuit is to serve you!

Ernst lightly tapped the resume in his hand with the pen, nodded, looked at the applicant in front of him, and replied with a smile:

"Okay, that covers most of my questions. Thank you very much for participating in this interview. The results will be sent to you via email within three business days."

The applicant, who seemed rather insecure, nodded slightly and left the office. Ernst, however, didn't immediately call in the next interviewee. Instead, he let out a long sigh, looked helplessly at Hinterlea beside him, and muttered:

"Hinterlea, how are you feeling?"

“Hmm…” Hinterlea pondered for a moment before replying, “They all seem very impressive, but how should I put it? Aren’t they all a bit too impressive?”

Ernst nodded in agreement: "I think so too."

Perhaps because this recruitment drive was affiliated with Rheinmetall, the number of applicants was unprecedented. What's even more baffling is that even though Ernst had clearly stated on the recruitment website that the job openings were to fill vacancies in administrative departments such as the Engineering Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance, many research elites with absolutely no connection to these fields still came to apply.

Are they not capable? Definitely. Research elites who have made a name for themselves in Trimont, no matter how devoted they are to research, must also know how to make a living. If they were to actually take on civil service jobs, they might very well be competent.

After all, a famous British TV series that governs half the world commented on the work of civil servants: "Those complicated paperwork can be done by anyone with a junior high school education who can fluently use words and sentences." "What civil servants really need is to be morally vacuumed."

But while they said, "I don't care about salary, I value the potential for development and future opportunities," they also seriously discussed how they hoped the government would fund the construction of a laboratory on a hilltop in Shelag, which made Ernst hesitate.

Furthermore, their intentional or unintentional mentions of "Rhine Lab" in their conversations made it even more difficult for Ernst to accept their job application.

Their purpose is all too obvious!

Even if Hinterlea were here, she would surely be able to see that these scientists are simply using Sherag as a stepping stone to join Rhine Lab, which they are not qualified to enter through normal channels!

Even if such people are recruited, they are only training talent for others. They may choose Kjerag now in order to enter Rhine Labs, but in the future, after realizing that they cannot be recruited by Rhine Labs, they may be tempted by other companies, organizations, or even countries to become spies infiltrating Kjerag.

Ernst could not allow this to happen.

Although Sherag had nothing to keep secret.

Although if a real spy war were to break out, the Washington, D.C. presidential palace might receive information about Sherag's country faster than the Sherag government itself.

But this is a matter of principle!

So it won't work!

That being said, using the Rhine Lab brand isn't entirely a bad thing.

At least the applicants are indeed all elites. Even if most of them have ulterior motives, in the end, some gold will always be found through the process of natural selection, right?

"Phew, how was your rest? Shall I call the next one?"

After consulting with Hinterlea, Ernst pressed a button on the table and called out:

"Next, please come in."

Steady footsteps sounded outside the door, and the office door was gently pushed open. A familiar figure appeared before Ernst.

Wearing a suit and tie, with light makeup that accentuated his sharp features, Jeston walked steadily to the seat opposite Ernst and Hintley, straightened his checkered tie, and greeted Ernst in a deliberately lowered voice, in the tone of a proper businessman:

"It's been a long time, Prime Minister Ernst. It's an honor to see you again."

Ernst blinked, his expression momentarily blank.

J...Jesston?

Why are you here again?

To be honest, Ernst had mixed feelings about seeing old acquaintances here.

Aside from being surprised that Columbia's unspoken rules for the workplace didn't include the rule that "applicants who were not hired in the previous recruitment cannot submit their resumes to the same company again within six months," it was also because of Jester's mindset.

He vividly remembered the last time, also in Tremont, when Jeston fled in disarray. He never expected him to be so determined, repeatedly failing but always getting back up from where he fell.

Putting everything else aside, Ernst has to admire him for his mindset alone.

Ernst smiled and nodded at Jeston, then asked with some curiosity:

“It has indeed been a long time, Mr. Jeston. Speaking of which, it’s been almost five months since we last met in Tremont, hasn’t it? Haven’t you looked for a job during this time?”

Jeston's confident smile froze.

Ernst's words struck a chord with him.

Jeston is a proud man, but his pride is twisted. He can control his pride well with people he approves of, such as his superiors, and can even adopt a humble posture. But with those he doesn't approve of, or those he considers inferior to himself, he becomes extremely arrogant, even taking pleasure in watching the struggles of the weak.

This personality issue caused him to become despondent after his last job interview.

It's not that he didn't attend interviews with other companies, but none of the companies he chose were small companies in his eyes, with little reputation, small scale, little prospect, and little ambition.

Such companies don't need someone like Jeston to hold a secretarial or similar position.

Their bosses lacked ambition; they preferred finding a pretty girl at Tremont's university to use as a secretary, essentially keeping her as a mistress, rather than Jesston. Even if Jesston succeeded in the interview, he could only become a department head or the head of security.

This creates another paradox.

Successfully interviewing at a small company certainly satisfied the wound that had opened up in Jeston's heart. But working at a small company couldn't fulfill his ambition to advance further.

After trying repeatedly and changing jobs six times in four months, Jeston finally chose to leave.

This completely ruined his reputation within the entire Tremont small business circle.

No small companies were willing to take him on anymore. And he hesitated to approach large companies like beach umbrellas and Rheinmetall, research giants that didn't care about reputation but only about ability—he had already been rejected by Ernst once for lacking competence, and he found it difficult to muster the courage to try a second time.

It wasn't until recently that he finally cheered up.

The truth is, he was running out of savings, and if he didn't find a proper job soon, he would have to take on shady jobs on the dark web.

Before logging onto the job market website and seeing the job posting for the second phase of the Scherrag League, Jeston's real purpose was to browse the job postings for Rhine Life Defense.

If he hadn't seen Ernst's advertisement, Jeston would probably already be dressed and heading to the Rhine Life Defense Department to be tested by Director Seria.

But fate can be so coincidental sometimes.

Ernst, who had once deeply shocked him, was now sitting in front of him again, and the nightmare deep in his heart finally had the chance to be conquered by his own hands!

So Jeston walked into the Rhine Life building without looking back.

"Didn't you say I couldn't do it? Fine, I, Jeston, am not here today to prove anything. I'm just here to say that what I've lost, I will take back myself!"

Jesston wants to go to World War II! If he doesn't get the job, he can just turn left and go downstairs to the defense department to try again!

Juston gave it his all, and the stiff smile on his face quickly returned to that of a sunny and cheerful young man.

Faced with Ernst's question, he earnestly explained his life ideals:

“Mr. Ernst, I simply believe that people should have a noble pursuit that they can persevere in, just like I do.”

He looked at Ernst and stated his life goal very fluently and clearly:

"Just like me, my pursuit is to contribute my humble efforts to Sherag and to you!"

Chapter 113 What would you do in this situation?

Ernst has seen many people talk about their life ideals in front of interviewers. Back in college, before he decided to take the civil service exam, he had done something similar to his boss during an internship.

Looking back, he wasn't ashamed of his boastful words or declarations of giving up; instead, he felt a pang of nostalgia for that youthful arrogance.

It's youthful, it's naive, it has a kind of beauty that makes you feel like you're pointing out the flaws in the world, and you look down on the powerful and influential people of the past.

If Ernst's behavior back then was a kind of youthful recklessness, then Jesston's current open declaration of being a "dog" has shown Ernst what maturity, unique to adults, truly means.

Is the job market really that competitive, Mr. Jesston?

Ernst exchanged a glance with Hintria, who was standing to the side looking somewhat bewildered, calmed his impending outburst, and looked at Jeston, who had already maxed out the "corporate slave" skill—endurance—and coughed lightly:

“Mr. Jeston, thank you very much for your interest in Sherag’s work. However, as is customary, I still need to ask you a few simple questions.”

Ernst took the resume from Jeston and glanced at it briefly. Apart from having many more lines in the work experience section, it was basically the same as the last one.

No, it's not entirely the same. Last time, Jeston specified his ideal job on his resume, but this time, he didn't include that section.

Ernst glanced at him, and asked with some curiosity:

"Mr. Jeston should have seen Sherag's job postings on the job market website, right? We're not hiring a secretary this time."

Holhayer did a great job, and even helped Ernst improve his image with the Duke of Windermere, securing an order for genuine leather sofas at prices far exceeding the market value. This provided the furniture factory in Sherag with enough work to keep them busy for two or three months, generating substantial economic benefits and enhancing the factory's standing among the people of Sherag.

Ernst had no reason to replace her.

Jesston nodded knowingly and said, "Yes, I understand."

"So what position are you applying for this time? Engineer? Tax officer? Or receptionist?" Ernst tapped his pen on the table.

Jeston's eyes were bright and his face was upright.

"In principle, I accept any arrangements made by Prime Minister Ernst and will always follow his orders to go wherever he requires me."

"But if Prime Minister Ernst does need my personal opinion, I hope to use my expertise to safeguard the safety of Prime Minister Ernst and the Scherage government."

Ernst remained silent for a moment, and before he could speak, Hintraya, who was standing beside him, quietly leaned closer and whispered in his ear:

"Does he mean he wants to be a security guard?"

Ernst's lips curled up slightly, but he quickly forced it back down with the force he used to control the revolver.

He flicked his tail and patted Hinterlea's ponytail, signaling her to be quiet. He then spoke up:

"I think I understand now. Mr. Jesston wants to become the Secretary of Defense?"

A glint of light flashed in Jesston's eyes, and he quickly nodded, saying, "That's exactly right!"

Actually, he wanted a position like the head of the defense department at the government building, or the captain of the prime minister's bodyguard. But the defense minister position sounds much more prestigious, doesn't it?

Ernst paused for a moment, then continued to ask:

"Mr. Jesse Johnston should be aware of the importance of the position of Secretary of Defense. He is responsible for a wide range of matters, from national defense to public safety. The reason I haven't appointed him to this position is because I haven't found the right person. Mr. Johnston, are you confident that you can handle the job?"

From national defense to people's livelihood and safety?

These words were quite harsh, and even Jesston was startled, making him lose confidence.

It wasn't that he was being modest; with his skill level, if he were to play for the Cavaliers in Casimir, he'd be at least on par with a left-handed Titus White. He might not have the guts to win a championship, but he certainly had the guts to be a perennial favorite and rake in the money!

But if you were to send him to clash with high-speed warships, professional armies, war mages, and elite troops from other countries, that would be giving him too much credit.

Unfortunately, the position of Minister of Defense is precisely that.

Ernst was telling the truth here. The reason he had not appointed a defense minister, a position that is theoretically necessary for the government, was not only because Sherag had virtually no defense capabilities, but also because he had not encountered any suitable candidates.

Aktos, nominally in charge of defense, is a clan patriarch and far more stubborn than Latatos. Ernst is already grateful that Aktos represents the Perroch family in supporting him. To expect him to bow down and serve in his own government, clocking in and out every day for a salary, Ernst might as well just appoint Jeragand.

After all, Jeragund really does have control over national defense.

Jeston clearly realized this as well, and he immediately changed his tune:

"That's right... Defense Minister is my ideal, but I firmly believe that to realize one's ideal, in addition to gaining the appreciation of a great person, one must also make arduous efforts and have a little bit of luck. I am very touched that Prime Minister Ernst trusts me so much, but I cannot let him down. So before I grow to the point where I can take on this great responsibility, I hope I can gain some experience in the Prime Minister's Guard or as the head of the government's defense department."

This was a well-chosen statement, neither offending Ernst nor diminishing its own stature, and even subtly praising Ernst and Scherrag's current government team, since they are all "highly qualified and capable of undertaking this important task."

Jesston has indeed made a lot of progress recently!

Moreover, the idea of ​​a prime minister's guard actually suited Ernst's thinking.

Although Silver's Mountain Snow Demons had been ruthlessly disbanded by him, the fact that he once controlled such an armed force and even attempted a coup still served as a wake-up call for Ernst.

Even if the great god Yeragand can guarantee his safety, he still needs his own armed forces.

From maintaining social order to curbing potential backlashes from reforms, and then to safeguarding social order, in the future Shelag, as productivity further develops and society becomes more open, people's thoughts and behaviors are unlikely to remain as simple and honest as they are today.

There are some things he can't let Jeragand do.

Having basically made up his mind, Ernst looked at Jeston, who was essentially ready to accept the offer.

Only one test remains.

"Well then, as is customary, Mr. Jesston, I'll give you a question. There's no absolutely right answer to this question, so I hope you'll answer it based on your own thinking, is that alright?"

“Of course,” Jeston replied confidently, pulling himself together.