"The code," Steelshot demanded once again, his eyes narrowed.
If the person in front of him was an imposter and wasted his time, then he shall make the person pay dearly.
'The guild leader said Lin Feng specifically sent a person to them for an interview and tasked me to greet them. If I can't do this flawlessly, then I'll be damned.' Steelshot glared at OneManMedia, his hand ready to retrieve his gun to shoot him.
As OneManMedia was stupefied by some code authentication, he suddenly received a message and nearly choked on his saliva.
'Ha… is this a punishment for asking a favor despite not wanting to join your upcoming guild?' He wondered silently, positive that the code word he must say was meant to humiliate him.
A few seconds went by, and Steelshot's patience was wearing thin.
"Hey, are you OneManMedia or not? If you can't give me the code, then I'll kill you right here and now!" He threatened.
However, the truth was that Steelshot was sure of the latter being OneManMedia. It was just that the other party requested that he must speak the code out, otherwise, the order would be messed up.
And who was he to decline that when he realized what the code word was.
'Heh, this OneManMedia definitely offended Lin Feng. Serves you right.' Steelshot snickered inwardly, eagerly waiting for the latter to make a fool of himself.
Feeling the pressure, OneManMedia could confirm that he was indeed being played.
Taking a deep breath, he mumbled, "I'm a clown."
The clown was a slang term usually meant for stupid, rude, or insignificant people, especially toward a man, and not the occupational clown in a circus.
Meanwhile, Steelshot feigned deafness by cupping his hand to his ear, as if he were trying to hear something through a shell.
"What did you just say? I couldn't hear you from all the noise that the crowd was making." He then asked, wanting OneManMedia to repeat the code.
"..."
How could a refined and perceptive reporter like him fail to perceive that he was lying?
Despite knowing so, OneManMedia decided to close his eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted, "I'M A BOZO!"
His shout was so loud that even some of the people in the crowd were shocked by it.
"What the hell?"
"That person is indeed a bozo to shout that kind of statement."
"What a crazy person! If someone like him gets recruited to the guild, then it would be a downgrade for Guild Leader Silver Wind."
Players started discussing and pointing their fingers at OneManMedia for his sudden outburst of calling himself a clown. Hearing their gossip that had zero intention of hiding, OneManMedia also feigned deaf, ignoring their remarks.
To accomplish big things, sacrifice was a must. Not to mention a small sacrifice like having to proclaim himself as a clown.
Enduring the humiliation, OneManMedia asked, "The code is correct, right?"
Baffled, Steelshot took a few seconds before nodding his head. With a fake cough, he continued, "Indeed, that's the correct code. Now follow me."
Sometime later, under the watchful eyes of many, Steelshot guided OneManMedia to the stage.
"Guild leader, I've brought him over." Steelshot quickly reported to Gentle Wind.
Gentle Wind nodded and glanced at OneManMedia. 'Lin Feng asked me to let him get an interview, but what's so special about him?'
Based on the sword attached to his waist, Gentle Wind easily determined the latter to be the specialist class, Swordsman. Other than the time when he asked some good questions, there were no more other recollections of him.
"Lin Feng asked me to give you a chance to interview, so what questions do you have?" Gentle Wind questioned, getting straight to the point.
If the person asking wasn't Lin Feng, then she would have ignored them and proceeded with her recruitment.
After all, there were many other reputable players from their respective media backgrounds here far superior to a lone person like OneManMedia.
"Right, I want to know about your upcoming plan after the recruiting is done. Are you going to expand your influence to other towns or are you planning on doing another dungeon in Hell Mode difficulty?" OneManMedia wasted no time in inquiring.
Naturally, there were even more sensitive questions he wished to ask, but he would need to be a little more patient. Asking someone sensitive questions on the get-go was a big taboo in the industry.
Who would want to reveal sensitive information to you right away?
Are they dumb and foolish to simply give them out for free?
Hell, even if they became acquainted with you for a few weeks, months, or years, they might still conceal things. Only a top-tier fool would spout everything out to every single person they meet or interact with.
A few seconds passed by, and Gentle Wind gave a brief response. "For now, I plan on extending my guild members and the Riverwood Town."
"What about conquering another dungeon?"
"Hmm, not sure, but I'll probably announce it if I decide on it." As she made such a response, Gentle Wind was looking forward to cooperating with Lin Feng again in another dungeon.
Since she agreed to let OneManMedia interrupt her in the middle of recruiting to give him an interview, she would definitely make sure Lin Feng would repay the favor.
'If only Lin Feng would join my guild. How nice would it be?' She smiled regretfully, glancing at the sea of people.
Many want to join her guild, but how many of them are actually useful?
Additionally, thanks to a subtle hint drop from Xu Feng, Gentle Wind knew recruiting en masse would be a terrible mistake.
"You can stand near the rear and record whatever you want. Steelshot will be guiding you." Gentle Wind instructed and went on to send a message in reply to the other party's advice.
Anonymous User: Congrats on the start of your recruiting, but I wonder how many of them are loyal and capable. It would be messy if there were some unknown backgrounds, spies, and slackers in the guild.
Gentle Wind: Thank you for your advice. I'll bear that in mind.