Recruitment Turmoil (1)

"It hasn't disappeared. It's just stored inside my body. Besides a certain amount of electricity, I also need to use the radiation it emits every day to sustain some of my other abilities!" What Castle said confirmed Pei Shao's guess. Somewhat pleased with himself, Pei Shao gave an example. "Just like us Earthlings need food and water, you Silicon-based People need to recharge and absorb radiation, right?"

"Yes!"

"Since that magical Matrix Cube hasn't disappeared, can it create another you?" Greed was something all humans shared. Naturally, Pei Shao was no exception.

"Insufficient energy, so of course it can't!" Castle poured a bucket of cold water over him. "However..."

"However what?" Hearing that there was still hope, Pei Shao immediately leaned closer.

"However, if you have a suitable method of collecting the residual radiation energy left after I absorb it each day, then it may be possible to fulfill your idea. It would probably only take a month..." Castle's words dealt another blow to the eager Pei Shao.

Damn it, that was the same as saying nothing! Pei Shao grumbled inwardly.

"All right, I'm tired! I need to rest for now. Don't disturb me unless it's something especially important!"

"Please wait!" Only after blurting that out did Pei Shao realize that Castle had already returned to its phone form.

With a silent sigh, Pei Shao reluctantly withdrew his gaze from Castle and began considering more practical matters. He suddenly realized that while his phone turning into a Transformer looked awesome, it had actually made his life even more miserable. Even if Castle's daily charging costs were tiny, they were still enough for an unemployed man like him to be unable to afford.

Although his parents sent him living expenses from home every month, there was barely anything left after rent. This was no long-term solution. Now that he also had Castle, if he still couldn't find a job, he would truly be at the end of his rope.

Was he really going to take Castle back to his hometown and endure his parents' sighs and disappointment?

No! Absolutely not! I'll stay in S City and prove to everyone that I, Pei Shao, am not some good-for-nothing loser who only knows how to live off what I have! At that thought, Pei Shao's confidence swelled as never before.

He felt that the reason his previous job fairs had failed, the reason employers would shake their heads speechlessly as soon as they saw his diploma, was simply that he had not prepared well enough. But he had spent a long time preparing for this job fair. There was no reason for him to fail again.

As he thought, Pei Shao walked into the kitchen. He began making food while reviewing his materials.

"This time, I'll definitely succeed! Even for Castle's sake, I have to succeed!" A sudden pain shot through Pei Shao's hand as the kitchen knife sliced his finger.

"..."

The next day, eager to find work, Pei Shao got up before dawn. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Castle sitting in front of his computer again, seemingly searching for information. "Harder-working than a bee!" Pei Shao remarked. He swiftly got dressed and walked up behind Castle.

"Hi, good morning! Mr. Castle, is everything okay?" Pei Shao greeted it.

"Don't make noise!" Castle remained as cold as ever. Pei Shao had made himself look foolish and walked away in disappointment. After a while, he came back and asked quietly, "Um... Mr. Castle, could you do me a favor?"

"What favor?" Castle did not even turn around.

"Could you come with me to the job fair?" Pei Shao asked.

"Why? What do I get out of it?" Castle did not look easy to fool.

"Because... if I succeed, I'll have money. Then maybe I can find a way to collect more radiation energy. Surely the more radiation energy you have, the better it is for all your outstanding functions, with no downside at all, right?"

"Let me think about it!" After a while, Castle finally turned around and said, "All right!" From its expression, although it had agreed to Pei Shao's request, it was quite reluctant.

"Great! Thank you!" Pei Shao nodded repeatedly and rubbed his hands carefully. "Then, shall I put you in my pocket now?"

Castle retracted the data cable plugged into the computer and made a beautiful leap through the air, landing on Pei Shao's palm in a way that left him utterly amazed. Then it handed Pei Shao something like a wireless earpiece, except it was exquisitely made. Once Pei Shao tucked it into his ear, no one could notice it unless they stood beside him and looked closely.

"This way, no one will notice that we're talking!" Castle jumped into Pei Shao's pocket and quickly transformed back into the shape of a phone, making Pei Shao secretly delighted.

"Looks like my luck is pretty good today. I'll definitely succeed!" After locking the door, Pei Shao kept touching Castle's metal body through his pocket as he walked to the job fair, as if afraid it might fly away.

"Watch the stone under your feet." Castle's timely reminder spared Pei Shao an undeserved disaster.

When he arrived at the job fair, all he could see was a sea of people, even more bustling than a vegetable market. Streams of applicants crowded endlessly around the staff at every recruitment booth, all flocking forward.

Pei Shao set his sights on a newspaper and magazine agency and ran through the materials he had prepared in his mind again. Even if you ask me later, "Why do you know everything, even that I went out fooling around yesterday?" I'll tell you it's because you carry her perfume scent—it's my nose's fault...

In his good mood, Pei Shao even showed off a little humor. But his optimism did not last long. Under the other side's repeated dismissive waves and impatient headshakes, he grew restless before quickly sinking into deep disappointment. For almost the entire morning, the moment Pei Shao handed over his diploma and résumé, he was ruthlessly rejected.

"Damn it, why is finding a job so hard?" Filled with grief and indignation, Pei Shao once again sat down at a newspaper and magazine recruitment booth. I refuse to believe it! Though agitated inside, Pei Shao remained calm on the surface. He calmly watched the bespectacled middle-aged woman across from him, thinking, At your age, you must be over fifty, right? Please don't be going through menopause!

This middle-aged woman clearly did not grant Pei Shao's wish. She merely glanced at his résumé before exclaiming in an extremely exaggerated tone, "Oh my, so you graduated from this university, and your grades were only so-so!"