HPDBC Chapter 1 The Failed Interview
Chapter 1 The Failed Interview
The sky was thick with dark clouds, and the towering buildings looked cold and desolate, creating a somber scene.
On a deserted pedestrian street, there are neatly arranged clothing display windows on both sides.
Wang Hong, holding an umbrella, wearing a cheap white shirt and trousers, and faux leather shoes stained with mud and water, strolled along with a nonchalant expression.
He was extremely thin, and the suit looked loose and even a bit too big on him.
From outside his cuffs, one could see that his fair fingers were covered with bluish-green veins, and the outlines and joint creases of each finger were clearly visible.
His cheeks were thin and sharp, with distinct angles.
Few pedestrians were around, all looking down at their phones as they hurried past.
The crisp smell of rain, mixed with the faint aroma of hot milk and coffee wafting from the bakery, created a refreshing and cleansing sensation, as if one had undergone a cleansing process.
But the strange thing is...
Wang Hong's walking movements were not natural.
His gait seemed a bit strange, with one light step and one heavy step, and his body was also relatively leaning to the left, as if his right leg was not very agile.
If you look closely through the gaps between his trouser legs and shoes and socks, you can vaguely see it.
His lower leg is not a normal fleshy leg, but a grayish-white prosthesis made of carbon fiber composite material.
Ding.
suddenly.
The message bell rang.
He paused slightly, took out his phone from his right trouser pocket, and checked the messages.
[Chen Bowen: Bro, how did your interview go?]
After hesitating for a moment, Wang Hong typed a message and sent it.
[Wang Hong: Same old story, when people see my legs like this, their expressions change immediately, haha!]
Chen Bowen: ...
[Chen Bowen: Bro, how about coming out for a drink tonight? I'll bring a few of my buddies. Stop cooped up at home all the time, getting glared at by your family. Nobody's happy like that.]
[Wang Hong: No, no, I have an interview tomorrow morning, I need to conserve my energy, and you know how little I can drink.]
[Chen Bowen: Okay, good luck then, I'll call you again next time.]
……
Wang Hong put his phone back in his pocket.
He limped toward home.
This broken leg is a congenital defect of his.
Wang Hong's family was of modest means and could not afford to buy expensive mechanical prosthetics; at most, he could only wear a fixed prosthesis with average performance.
His leg disability prevented him from moving normally, which indirectly led to his extremely poor physical condition.
But this did not affect his personality; he always tried his best to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude.
It's just an interview. If it doesn't work the first time, try ten times. You'll eventually succeed.
Go home.
Wang Hong pushed open the door, struggled to take off his mud-soaked leather shoes, and put on clean slippers.
Without saying a word, he took off his prosthetic leg and went into the bathroom to take a hot shower.
As he dried his head with a towel and walked out of the bathroom, leaning against the wall.
His mother had already prepared the meal and was waiting for him to sit down and eat.
Wang Hong dried his legs, put his prosthetic leg back on, limped to the dining table, picked up his bowl, and started eating.
He is in poor health, and going out takes a lot of physical exertion, so he eats relatively more.
His parents silently picked up their food, waiting for him to speak, and the atmosphere became incredibly somber.
Wang Hong quickly sensed the atmosphere and was about to speak when his mother tentatively asked:
"Son, is your...job still not settled?"
"Okay," Wang Hong replied, "It's alright, I'm used to it."
"Your dad..." The mother hesitated, then poked Wang Hong's father with her hand.
The latter put down his chopsticks, sighed first, and then said:
"We slipped you a red envelope and used our connections to get your uncle to arrange a sales job for you at his company."
"It's a bit tough, but with your uncle taking care of you, it should be more secure than finding a job on your own."
"You can go and try it tomorrow. Remember to be a little sweet-talking, bring a few packs of cigarettes, offer them to everyone you meet, and say a few nice things."
"Sales? What do you sell?" Wang Hong glanced at the prosthetic leg subconsciously and then asked.
It just feels a bit strange that someone with mobility issues would do sales.
However, there are many forms of sales, including online sales, so this shouldn't be a big problem.
"His company is quite diverse; they sell a lot of things. Go and check it out tomorrow."
His parents never mentioned the prosthetic leg when they were talking.
"Okay," Wang Hong replied and continued eating.
Wang Hong is usually very optimistic and doesn't take his disability to heart.
On the contrary, his parents were always worried that Wang Hong would feel inferior, so they avoided mentioning it as much as possible.
They have always felt guilty for not being able to give Wang Hong a complete body, causing him to suffer too much unnecessary pain.
After finishing the rice in his bowl, Wang Hong got up and went back to his room.
Night fell in the blink of an eye.
The cool moonlight outside the window shone through the glass onto the balcony.
Wang Hong leaned against the pillow in the darkness.
The light from the phone cast a grayish-white reflection on his face.
2026年4月3日，23点57分。
He stretched, plugged in the charging cable, and turned off his phone.
I need to report to my uncle's company at 10:30 tomorrow morning.
He needs to rest early.
But the thought of trying to do sales made him somewhat anxious.
It wasn't that he was worried about being treated coldly because of his disability, but rather that he was a socially anxious person.
The thought of dealing with a lot of strangers made him a little nervous!
He tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep; he didn't have the habit of going to bed early.
In the end, I picked up my phone, turned off all the red dots in the WeChat group chats, then browsed Bilibili and Douyin, but soon lost interest.
He put down his phone again and decided to get up and find something to eat.
Eating some staple food and carbohydrates can easily make you sleepy.
After the prosthetic leg was installed on his right leg, he limped as he pushed open the door.
He suddenly froze.
As the hour, minute, and second hands of the clock simultaneously point to the top.
A line of subtitles appeared before his eyes.
[Identity synchronization in progress, randomly retrieving occupational information...]
[Physical Fitness: 8]
【Spirit: 10】
[Rank: White (18/50)]
[The Hypnotist (White)]
(White < Cyan < Blue < Purple < Red < Gold...)
[Characteristic 1, Social Personality: Long-term training has given you excellent insight into people's hearts, analytical skills, and communication abilities, which allow you to quickly gain the trust of others.]
[Characteristic 2, Self-Discipline: Hypnotists not only possess the ability to control the minds of others, but also the ability to control their own minds. This ability grants you unparalleled drive and focus.]
[Trait 3, Combat Proficiency: Thanks to your long-term exposure to dangerous areas, you possess a strong physique and skillful combat techniques, capable of beating any unruly patient to a pulp.]
[Feature 4, Proficiency in Image Hypnosis: As one of the most outstanding hypnotists of our time, you are skilled and proficient in a technique that induces a hypnotic state by drawing specific images.]
[Professional Quest: Within a limited time, hypnotizing more than ten people will randomly and permanently grant one trait.]
[There are 6 days and 23:59 until the next identity reset.]
Wang Hong was completely stunned.