Every point, even every detail of their discussion, could trigger a fierce, albeit verbal, battle of offense and defense.
Shu held the pen, Shu gestured on the light screen. Their speech unconsciously grew faster and faster, their voices rising without them realizing it.
They looked like they were arguing, but in reality, it was a completely pointless exchange of insults.
Due to their shared thought process, the two Shus' arguments, which seemed like complete opposites, like two sides of a mirror, were actually just different emphases based on the same value system.
Not only could neither persuade the other, but they became increasingly annoyed because the other could always accurately predict and counter their next point.
Of course, what was even more annoying was that they both knew exactly what the other's trigger points were.
The argument gradually deviated from the recruitment notice itself and once again became a questioning of each other.
Their thought patterns, decision-making abilities, and even "whether they genuinely wanted to do this right"—their words were sharp, and they thought their tones were still calm and confident.
In reality, though...
"You're just nitpicking and looking for trouble! Deliberately pursuing a so-called 'perfect system' without any regard for the actual situation and feasibility!" Shu's pen jabbed heavily at the paper, tearing a corner.
"It's you who's shortsighted and narrow-minded! You're just looking for convenience and simplicity, and the rules you've set are full of loopholes. They can't stand up to scrutiny or long-term operation at all!" The light screen in front of [Shu ] flickered slightly due to his emotional fluctuations.
"My plan is at least simple and direct, and can be launched quickly!"
"Your plan will only bury countless hidden dangers, and it will take ten times the effort to fix them in the future!"
"Hidden dangers? The biggest hidden danger is your tendency to complicate everything!"
"The biggest problem is your laziness, always wanting to take shortcuts when you encounter difficulties!"
The temperature in the office seemed to drop a few degrees.
The two glared at each other across the table, their chests heaving slightly with their heavy breathing, and even their faces were flushed from the rapid breathing...
Yes, they were both blushing.
The writing on the notebook and the light screen was already a mess, mixed with a large number of corrections, rebuttals, and obviously emotional, unintelligible symbols.
But don't worry, because this situation clearly wouldn't last long.
It was unclear who made the first move. Perhaps the long-suppressed frustration and the intense confrontation at this moment had finally reached a tipping point, or perhaps their subconscious minds felt that "verbal arguments" could no longer "solve" the problem.
The moment their eyes met, killing intent erupted.
Come on, only one person is getting out of here alive today!
The air in the office was like a fully drawn bowstring, taut and about to snap.
The organizational charts drawn and crossed out on the whiteboard looked like a battlefield sand table in the dim light. The scattered papers on the table were filled with sharp words refuting each other.
The two "Stelles" faced off across the table, the afternoon sun slanting in and twisting their shadows into inhuman monsters, wrestling on the walls.
"—So your plan is essentially just evasion!" Shu's pen tip had already pierced the desktop. "Using flexible working hours to cover up your inability to schedule, using a fixed salary to numb the employees' fighting spirit, using 'interest first' to evade the responsibility of professional training!
"This muddle-through system of yours won't last three months before it rots from the inside!"
Shu let out a "hot" laugh, and spiderweb cracks appeared on the light screen in response.
"And your plan? Crude standardization, a rigid commission system, and that ridiculous cultural threshold—it's like managing a shop as if it's a frontline command post!
"Are you trying to hire clerks or a suicide squad? Customers want relaxation and resonance, not to come in and listen to military regulations being recited!"
"At least my shop won't turn into a charity shelter and a fan club meet-up!"
"Bullshit! Your shop will only become a model of a sweatshop filled with the stench of money and oppression!"
The pen was slammed on the table, and light motes fell like dust.
The two stood up at the same time, the legs of their chairs scraping harshly against the floor.
Shu's hand clenched in the air, and that unique metal baseball bat appeared out of thin air. He held it in a reverse grip, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground.
"Very good! Since we can't solve this with reason... then I'll just have to knock some sense into that pig-like mind of yours!"
Shu raised his hand almost in sync, and another identical baseball bat spun and landed in his palm, dark gold light flowing along its body.
"Bring it on! Betting on the shop's turnover is too slow, and deciding the winner by customer approval rating is too indirect—let's be more direct."
He held the bat horizontally, taking a ready stance, his voice as hot as fire.
"The loser shuts up, the winner writes the final draft."
"With this bat that's specifically for smashing Honkai Beast heads—"
"I'll teach you what's called 'reasonable flexibility'!"
Shu sneered, his wrist flicking, the shadow of the bat like a dragon raising its head.
"I couldn't ask for more."
"Just the right 'whetstone' for me—"/"To test just how hard my 'rigid standards' are!"
The molten gold in their eyes burned to its brightest at this moment, reflecting each other's poised figures.
The space in the office seemed to groan under the pressure of an invisible force field. The papers moved without wind, and the dust in the corners trembled.
"Watch this—" Shu bent his knees slightly, and energy began to compress at the tip of his bat, his voice as low as brewing thunderclouds. "This strike is called 'Standard Procedure - Irrefutable Truth'!"
"Then you'd better be ready for this—" Shu slid sideways, the dark gold light leaving an afterimage behind him, his words as sharp as a drawn sword. "My move, 'Flexible Response - Ever-Changing Answer'!"
You're even copying the format of my special moves?!
"Don't copy me!!" / "Don't copy me!!"
The air exploded! Two visible shockwaves of light and flame collided violently in the small space—
Just as the two baseball bats, carrying destructive energy and enough force to send the not-so-thick table between them flying, were about to strike the first spark—
"Stelle sisters! It's dinnertime! Do you want to..."
The door was pushed open, and the badge girl's smiling face and cheerful voice flooded in.
Then froze.
She saw two deadly weapons just 0.01 centimeters from each other's noses, two murderous yet identical faces, and the distorted light and scattered dust in the air.
"Eek—!!!
"S-S-S-Sorry! I-I-I didn't see anything! You can contin... no no no! I mean... dinner, dinner's in the cafeteria! You're busy, come after you're done... that's not right either, no need to rush! Take your time!"
BANG—!
The sound of the door closing was louder than any battle cry.
The two baseball bats were frozen in mid-air.
Shu: "..."
...So... are we still fighting?
The boiling killing intent was instantly extinguished by this unexpected interruption, replaced by the realization of the impropriety that came with sudden calmness.
Had they just been about to stage a full-blown fight in front of their potential employees?
The two silently retracted their bats.