About 30 minutes later, a sleek, black car came pulling up to Chan’s house. Jeongin stepped out onto the pavement and glanced around. After making sure no one was around, he turned and knocked on Chan’s door twice. Chan immediately opens the door and steps aside to let Jeongin in. He crosses the room and sits on the couch, very curious about why he was called. 

“So…” Chan starts, “first off, thank you for coming. Second I want to explain a bit about why I called and the situation. Before I begin, I must tell you while this might seem trivial, this is important. And it’s absolutely crucial that what’s said in the room is to be kept here.”

Jeongin just looks up and nods. 

“Good. Now let’s get started from the beginning.”

By the time Chan and Hyunjin are finished and explain what the plan is, Jeongin can’t help but think to himself,  yeah, it does seem trivial. But if they called me, it must be important.

The night ends with the plan coming together and Jeongin’s fake papers to give at the interview for his undercover operation printed and ready. Jeongin stares at the papers, memorizing every detail of his new identity. 

Chan and Hyunjin had watched as Jeongin left, his headlights growing smaller and dimmer as he pulled away from the house and turned the corner into the night. 

The next day Jeongin walks into the tall, steel building, his nerves set on fire. He always enjoyed the rush he got from being another person. It was like live theater, but with way higher stakes and expectations. He walked in and crossed the long lobby and stopped in front of the receptionist desk. The receptionist looks up from her computer and smiles politely. 

“Hello sir, can I help you?” 

“Yes, I have an appointment. I’m here for the 9 o’clock interview.”

“What’s your name, sir?”

“I’m Fennec Yang.” 

The receptionist looks at him up and down, taking in the man with the sharp, tailored suit and bright eyes. She quickly looked back and typed on her computer. 

“Thank you, Fennec. Take a seat and you will get called back soon.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Jeongin takes a seat in the big, circular lobby. There were seats lined up neat and pristine, lined up all along the walls. There were a few tables with various magazines spread across them for the people waiting to read while they sit there. Strange…Jeongin thought to himself, this feels…like a doctors office. It feels…too sterile. Actually now that Jeongin is looking around, he can’t spot any smudges on the windows and no footprints on the ground, typical small things that would be in lobbies that have as much traffic as they seem to have during the day. 

A few minutes later a door opens and he hears his undercover name, 

“Fennec Yang?”

Jeongin stands up.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Follow me this way please.”

Jeongin walks over to the receptionist that has the door held open for him, and she strolls ahead of him through the long hallway. They come to a stop in front of a giant, wooden door. The receptionist knocks one time then turns to Jeongin. 

“He’s waiting for you, good luck.”

She doesn’t wait for a reply and she swiftly moves past Jeongin and heads back to the front of the building. Jeongin steps inside and he closes the door behind him and takes in the office in front of him. Long, wide, windows showing the view of the buildings below him. There were a couple of fake plants in the corners of the office, giving it a classy and sleek feel. The desk almost looked out of place, a long, wooden desk with dark wood polish covering it. It looked so dark compared to the lightness of the windows that it seemed a little strange. The strangest sight of all though, was the man behind the desk, who hadn’t even looked up from whatever he was writing. He wasn’t particularly built or tall, but his presence was intense. He had such a  dark aura about him, as if you could feel the authority seeping from his pores. 

Jeongin stayed standing at the entryway, waiting for the man to notice him. When the man finally glanced up, he met Jeongin's eyes and Jeongin instantly tensed slightly. His dark gaze was so intense that it felt like he could see through Jeongin’s soul. Jeongin was scared for a second that his cover had been blown. He knew, of course, that it hadn’t, but he felt a sort of uneasiness by his gaze. 

“So…Mr. Fennec is it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Take a seat.”

Jeongin walks across the office and takes a seat in the small chair that was in front of the desk. The man leans back in chair and begins. 

“I’m Mr. Lee, owner and CEO of the company. Before we begin I must tell you that the competition for this position is very strict. We are looking at many applicants. This role is particularly important because they will be working closely with me and my personal team. You will have to show up and bring your best, give me everything you have and them some. And, most importantly,” he adds a slight smirk to the end, “you must obey me. You must be loyal to an absolute fault. You cannot disobey or refuse to follow orders. Do you understand?”

The corners of Jeongin’s mouth tilted upward as he takes in the information. Well, even if he isn’t doing something illegal he sure as hell is sketchy. 

“Of course sir. Whatever you say goes without question. I expect nothing less.” 

Mr. Lee smirks and says,

“Great. Now let’s begin.” 

The interview goes for about 30 minutes, although he was asking normal interview questions, it felt like he was subtly testing Jeongin; trying to push his boundaries slightly or make him crack under pressure. Jeongin held his ground proudly and kept his gaze level, matching everything to Mr. Lee's pace.

“Alright Fennec, I will give you a call by the end of day should you have the opportunity.” 

“I look forward to it sir.” 

“Oh, by the way…” he says slow, cryptically,

“If you are chosen, don’t take it for granted. I can make you a star employee, or I can make sure you never work again. We run a tight ship here and it’s absolutely crucial you understand that. You need to know the environment you’re walking into is not like others. We do things…differently here.” 

“Understood Mr. Lee. I look forward to hearing from you.”