Rewind With A Superstar System

Chapter 135: Staff Recruiting (2)

<🎧 Song Recommendation: HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar>

...

The man smiled shyly at Emily’s words, wiping his hands on a towel slung over his shoulder.

"He understands English, though," Emily added quickly. "And he can speak basic English well enough to get by."

Von focused his attention on the food in front of the man, trying to repeat the name on the man’s tag in his head. Marcello.

Like the others he had seen today, Marcello didn’t have a special skill via [Inspect]. Before Von could even pick up a fork, the chef gestured proudly at the rich, hearty bowl in front of him.

"I make for you the Pappardelle with the wild boar ragù," Marcello announced with an accent. "Is-a handmade pasta. I cook the meat slow, very slow. You eat, Capo. You like."

When Von took a bite of the dish, his eyes widened slightly.

The depth of flavor was unbelievable. The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the meat completely melted on his tongue.

He really loved it. As much as Von hated to admit it, Marcello might actually be a better cook than him.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that this was his first time having this particular Italian meal, but it was different. And Von loved different.

Von looked down at the man’s name tag again, then looked him right in the eye. "I love your Pappardelle, Marcello. You’re hired."

Marcello’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. He raised his hands upwards in gratitude, rattling off a string of rapid-fire praises and "Thank you, Capo!" before quickly moving to clean his station.

Von turned to the other two chefs, offering them a respectful nod. "To the rest of you, you’re exceptional at your craft. Better luck somewhere else, thanks for your time."

None of them complained. They had both been well compensated just for showing up and cooking the tasting plates today. They packed up their knives and quietly exited the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Von grabbed another forkful of the pasta and returned to the living room. Emily stayed behind for a few minutes to finish sorting the paperwork and fix a formal start date with Marcello, confirming he would be moving into the Pinecrest compound by the end of the week.

When Emily finally walked back into the living room, she picked up a clipboard.

"Up next is your security," Emily announced. "Who will also work as your primary driver."

She walked over to the patio doors and signaled outside. A moment later, two men walked inside the living room.

They were both burly, but one stood out immediately. He had very dark skin and stood at a towering height of over 6’8".

His chest was broad and he wore a plain, oversized black t-shirt and cargo pants, and he had a mean, entirely blank expression on his face that made him look completely unapproachable.

The other guy, meanwhile, was much more lax with his expressions. He wore a fitted tactical polo that showed off his muscular arms, and he flashed a confident, easygoing smile as he entered.

He wasn’t too far behind the giant in terms of being jacked, but he carried himself with a lighter energy.

Von sat down on the couch and looked at the two respective resume sheets Emily had placed on the glass table, not questioning the men just yet.

[McKenny Rigg: Ten years of experience. Highly trained in executive protection. Background in private security forces for elite corporate clients. Certified evasive driver with an active concealed carry permit.]

[Bunny: Ex-military background. Certified chauffeur. Scored high points during the initial vetting phase solely due to his highly intimidating physical presence and flawless driving record.]

Von read the second sheet again, pausing as a specific detail stuck out to him. He looked up, his eyes landing on the absolute giant of a man standing in his living room.

"Your name is Bunny?!"

Emily laughed softly from her spot. "Apparently, that’s what he’s called in the industry. Kinda ironic, right?"

They didn’t get any reaction from Bunny. The big guy didn’t even smile. He just gave a single nod of confirmation.

Looking tough was not enough for Von to choose them, though. He used [Inspect] quickly, but just like the chefs, none of them possessed a skill.

So, Von was going to have to go his own way in making a choice.

Von placed his right elbow on the glass coffee table, keeping his posture entirely relaxed.

"So..." Von trailed off, looking between the two men. "Who thinks they can beat me in an arm-wrestling match?"

Emily looked at Von’s arm resting on the table, and then she looked up at the two massive, burly men standing in front of them.

She immediately felt a wave of pity towards the two bodyguards who were about to have their egos completely broken.

The fair guy, McKenny, stepped forward first. He flashed an amused smile after seeing Von’s relatively average-sized hand waiting on the table.

McKenny set his massive hand down, gripping Von’s palm. "I don’t know about this, man. I don’t want to hurt you, but you’re the boss."

"Just pull," Von instructed calmly.

McKenny nodded and applied pressure. He tried to start easy at first, not wanting to slam his potential new employer’s hand through the glass table.

But Von’s arm didn’t move an inch. It felt like McKenny was trying to push over a bolted steel beam.

Frowning, McKenny shifted his stance, gritted his teeth, and applied his full strength.

The veins in the security guard’s neck bulged, his biceps flexed hard against the sleeves of his polo. He pushed with everything he had. But Von was an immovable object.

Von didn’t struggle much. He let the man exhaust himself for a few seconds before applying his own pressure. With a smooth, effortless motion, Von drove McKenny’s arm down, pinning his knuckles firmly to the table.

McKenny stepped back, his eyes wide in absolute disbelief. He grabbed his own wrist, rubbing it as he stared at the young artist.

"How..." McKenny stammered, completely losing his confident composure. "How did you do that? It’s impossible. Your hand is so small, yet so strong."

"Next," Von called out with a smirk, interrupting the guy before he could spiral into a full existential crisis.

Bunny stepped forward next. The giant didn’t smile, and he didn’t offer any warnings. He locked his massive, bear-like hand onto Von’s, planted his boots firmly into the floor, and tried his absolute hardest from the very start.

Despite the sheer size difference, Von still brought Bunny’s hand down easily, pinning it to the glass.

During the brief match, Von actually noticed something interesting.

McKenny, the light-skinned man, was actually a lot stronger physically, despite having a smaller build than the giant.

Von released his grip. Bunny stepped back, rolling his massive shoulder once. The giant didn’t look embarrassed in any way. He just returned to his neutral, unapproachable stance.

Von looked at Bunny, raising an eyebrow. "Don’t you want to know how I did that?"

Bunny shook his head to a simple no.

McKenny, however, didn’t agree with that mindset. He took a step forward, his brow furrowed in frustration.

"I want to know. Never in my entire career have I witnessed such an abnormality. You can’t just leave us clueless like that. What kind of training do you do?"

Von smiled faintly. He turned away from McKenny and looked directly at Bunny.

"You’re hired," Von told the giant. He then glanced at McKenny. "I don’t need a guy who asks questions to protect me."

McKenny could only let out a defeated sigh, realizing he had just talked himself out of a highly lucrative job. A few moments later, Emily escorted both men outside to handle Bunny’s paperwork and compensate McKenny for his time.

When the front door finally clicked shut, the living room fell quiet.

Minutes later, Emily returned from the hallway with the third set of applicants in tow. She walked over to the couch, holding a fresh set of folders.

"Alright, moving on," Emily said, looking down at Von. "These ones here are for your Social Media Manager role."

But Von wasn’t focused on her words. He wasn’t looking at the folders, and he wasn’t looking at the two young professionals wearing smart-casual blazers.

His eyes were completely fixed on one specific face among the group, a face he would have never expected to see standing in his living room.

Von slowly sat up from the couch.

"You...! No way."