Encounter

Michael finally had some free time. Well, he did until Capos debuted next week. Then he would be busy dealing with the game. However, he was confident that the game will be a huge success. He took his GTR for a leisure drive to get away from the stress of business life.

Michael picked a scenic route that included a famous bridge with the best view in Austin. He drove to the bridge and parked on the side. He walked along the bridge and saw a girl standing over the bridge. She looked like she was going to jump. "Is she going to commit suicide?" Michael thought to himself.

Michael walked up to the girl. She noticed him immediately.

" Don't come any closer." She warned.

" Fine, Geesh Im just here for the view." Michael replied. He was curious about the girl who wanted to commit suicide. The girl kept watching Michael. He was taken back because the girl was treating him like he was a bad person. After all, she is the one trying to jump off the bridge.

After a few minutes. The girl finally relaxed and sat on the bridge. Michael finally got a good look at her. She was tall and had an athletic body; She was obviously Hispanic. However, he was taken back by her green eyes.

"You have beautiful eyes." Michael commented.

The girl begrudgingly said thanks.

" So why do you want to jump off a bridge?" Michael asked.

" I am just tired of living. Life is so disappointing. I want to jump; who knows maybe I will get reincarnated." she replied.

" You are stupid." Michael declared. This girl really was an idiot.

" Excuse me?" The girl was taken back.

" You are trying to reincarnate by jumping off a bridge. That is wrong. You should be looking for Truck-kun. Only he can send you into a cool afterlife." Michael declared. Did this girl not have any common sense? She must have been living under a rock or something.

" What are you even talking about?" The girl was baffled by Michael's response.

" Ahh don't worry about it. Clearly, you have not been enlightened by web novels. Something must have happened recently to bring you here." Michael curiously probed.

" Well, I guess that's true. I got fired from work last week." The girl revealed.

" Thats it?" Michael was taken back by the simple reason.

" You don't understand. I am a lawyer. I graduated from law school with nearly $200,000 in student loan debt. I joined a local law firm for an internship. The asshole boss tried to take advantage of me. I quit but could not find any other job because he blocked all my offers. Now I am stuck without a job and a massive student loan that I cannot pay." The girl explained while crying.

The girl continued to cry. Michael did not really know what to say. It seemed like she was just afraid of not being able to pay off her loans.

" You are just down because of a temporary issue." Michael explained.

" I have always struggled in life. Law school was supposed to save me, but it seemed to have made it worse." She responded.

" Well, I have always believed that people have the freedom to do whatever they want with their life. Even end it. However, if you want to keep living then I am looking to hire a lawyer." Michael said.

The girl suddenly looked up. She saw hope at the end of the tunnel but then she remembered her student loans and looked down. Even if she gets a job she will have a hard time paying off the loan.

" What sort of company do you run?" she asked.

" Well, it is a private investment firm that will eventually expand into many different industries. Currently, our first subsidiary is a gaming company." Michael explained.

" How can you promise me a job? Are you a recruiter?" She asked suspiciously. She almost felt like she was being pranked.

" Lets just say that I have enough authority to make hiring decisions. Here is my business card with the company address. By the way, what is your name? " Michael asked. It felt weird talking to someone for an hour without knowing her name.

" My name is Cindy Clarke. Nice to meet you Michael." She shook his hand. Cindy was relieved to finally get a chance; however, she was still worried about paying off her student loans. She grew up in a poor family with a single mom. Her mother was busy supporting her siblings so she had to pay for college on her own. Cindy worked hard and went to college with scholarships. However, law school did not offer scholarships so she had to take out loans. Unfortunately, she was shut down from her first job itself.

Cindy contemplated complaining about her boss, but she knew it was futile to go against a law firm. Her boss had connections with the district attorney which is why he was so arrogant. She could still apply to regular jobs but they did not pay enough to even cover her monthly payments. She turned to Michael.

" How much salary are you offering?" She asked. If she could not even cover her monthly payments then she would still be in a quagmire.

" Hmm… Send me your resume. Then I will give an offer based on qualifications." Michael answered. He mainly needed her details to do a talent examination.

Cindy nervously emailed the resume. She was worried he would be discouraged by her meager experience.

Michael read the resume; He finally had enough information to use the Talent Recognition skill.

[ Cindy Clarke

Supreme Affinity: Law

Advanced Affinity: Analytical Thinking, Critical Thinking, Negotiation ]

Michael smiled as he saw the evaluation. He finally had another supreme talent. He looked up the average lawyer salaries for new hires in Texas. He was surprised to find that they made more than his CEO. In hindsight, he should have offered more to Jennifer but she did not ask for more and he was not an experienced businessman so he did not know.

" I can offer a base salary of $160,000 and add performance bonuses." Michael explained.

Cindy was taken back by the generous offer. That salary was in line with the top law firms in Texas. She felt like a huge burden was taken off her shoulders. She would be able to meet her monthly payments and still have savings left to help her family. She promised to meet Michael in the company office tomorrow.

Michael drove back home with a smile on his face. He finally had his own lawyer. Although he did not have a full team of lawyers like most corporations; he had step one completed.