An Unconventional Interview

Jani stood on the sidewalk across the street, tilting her head back.

The building soared into the sky like a blade of glass, its silver logo gleaming above the grand entrance canopy.

INTERGLOBE SHIPPING INTERNATIONAL

For several seconds, she could only stare.

She had seen buildings like this countless times online. The kind where CEOs, investors, and powerful executives made decisions worth millions of dollars. A world that had always felt impossibly far away from hers.

And today, she was standing right in front of it.

She lowered her gaze to the simple white blouse and navy blazer she was wearing. Suddenly, she felt underdressed. The people walking in and out of the building looked effortlessly elegant, radiating the kind of confidence she had only ever admired from afar.

Meanwhile, she was clutching an old blue plastic folder whose edges had long since faded.

“You’ll be fine,” she whispered to herself.

Drawing a deep breath, she crossed the street from the bus stop. The moment she stepped into the lobby, cool air wrapped around her. The marble floor gleamed like polished glass. A crystal chandelier scattered light across the vast space. At the center stood a curved reception desk that looked more expensive than everything inside the tiny house she rented.

She hurried toward it.

“Good morning,” she said politely.

The young receptionist greeted her with a practiced smile.

“Good morning. How may I help you, Ma’am?”

A name tag on her blazer read CLARA. She looked about the same age as Jani.

“I’m here for the Executive Project Liaison interview... at nine o'clock,” Jani’s voice came out hoarse from nerves. “My name is Anjani Clarissa Hermawan.”

Clara glanced at her monitor and typed something. Then her smile subtly changed.

“Welcome, Ms. Anjani. We’ve been expecting you.”

Jani blinked. “We’ve been expecting you”? The words sounded... strange. Before she could think any further, Clara handed her an access card.

“Thirty-second floor, Ma’am. Mr. Nathan Kuncoro will be waiting for you.”

“Thank you.”

Jani accepted the card awkwardly before following the receptionist’s directions to the elevators. She stepped inside with several sharply dressed young professionals, probably executives or office staff.

The high-speed elevator shot upward. Higher. Higher still. With every passing floor, the knot in her stomach tightened. When the doors opened, a young man in a tailored black suit was already waiting outside.

Jani assumed he was about to get in. Instead, he extended a hand toward her.

“Ms. Anjani?”

She quickly shook it. “Y-Yes.”

“I/m Nathan. Please follow me.”

She nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

Nathan led her down an unusually quiet corridor. The thick carpet swallowed every footstep. No employees passed by. No phones rang. No conversations echoed through the hallway.

It was... odd. Very odd. Finally, Nathan stopped before a pair of imposing double doors.

“Please.”

He pushed one open. Jani stepped inside. The room was far larger than she'd expected. A meeting room. Three people sat behind a long conference table. A middle-aged woman. A man wearing glasses. And an older gentleman with silver hair who clearly carried the greatest authority.

All three stared at her. Silently. No one spoke for a moment. It felt as though they were confirming something only they understood.

At last, the silver-haired man smiled.

“Please have a seat, Ms. Anjani.”

She managed to sit down, though her trembling legs made the simple act feel surprisingly difficult.

“I’m Bastian Hernandi,” the man introduced himself. “I’ll be your direct supervisor. This interview will be a little... different.”

Jani's heartbeat quickened. “How so, Sir?”

“First, we’d like to know you.”

The questions began. One after another. Each interviewer took turns asking. Nathan occasionally joined in as well. They asked about her education. Her previous jobs. Her family. How she handled pressure. The hardest decision she’d ever made.

At first, everything felt perfectly normal. Just another job interview. Another round of questions she'd become all too familiar with after months of searching for work.

Then the questions changed.

“If someone betrayed your trust,” the middle-aged woman, Dewi, asked calmly, “what would you do?”

Jani frowned. “Betrayed my trust?”

“Yes. Just answer honestly.”

She considered it for a moment. “May I know why they betrayed me first?”

Silence. The man with glasses, Rahman, simply wrote something in his notebook. Dewi offered no response. The next question came from Rahman.

“If you had to choose between saving yourself... or saving your family... which would you choose?”

An uneasy feeling settled in Jani’s chest. “My family.”

Again, they wrote something down.

“Do you panic easily?” Bastian asked.

“It depends on the situation.”

“Would you say you’re good at keeping secrets?”

“I... think so.”

“How much would you be willing to sacrifice for someone else?”

Jani looked from one face to another. Is this a job interview... or a psychological evaluation? Still, she answered every question. Nearly an hour later, Bastian closed the folder before him.

“I believe that’s enough.”

Jani's heart was pounding so hard she could barely speak. The four impeccably dressed interviewers exchanged quiet glances. Then they all nodded.

Bastian stood, walked over, and extended his hand.

“Welcome to Interglobe, Ms. Anjani. We hope you’ll enjoy working with us.”

Jani froze. She hurried to her feet and shook his hand, her mind suddenly blank.

“S-so... I...?”

The others approached one by one, smiling warmly as they congratulated her.

“Yes,” Bastian said. “Your qualifications are exactly what we’re looking for. Congratulations once again.”

Jani stared at them in disbelief.

“But... isn’t there usually another stage after the interview? A written test... psychological assessment... something?”

“I don’t believe that will be necessary,” Bastian smiled. “Please come with me.”

Nothing about this made sense. No written exam. No case study. No presentation. But most importantly, no other candidates. It almost felt as though the decision had been made long before she walked through the door.

Still, she followed Bastian out. Nathan, Dewi, and Rahman remained behind in the meeting room.

Bastian led her through another long corridor before turning into a second hallway. They climbed an elegant curved staircase to the next floor, then entered a smaller office. Several framed photographs decorated one wall. Investors. Board members. Directors.

One portrait immediately caught Jani's attention. A strikingly handsome young man. Sharp features. Confident eyes. Natural charisma. He looked to be in his early thirties. The plaque beneath the photograph read: ADRIAN HERLAMBANG.

Jani read the name aloud.

“Is he the CEO of this company?”

“That’s right,” Bastian studied her carefully. “Have you ever heard of him?”

She shook her head. “No. Not yet, Sir.”

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, as if measuring the truth behind her answer.

“Good.”

Good? Why was that good?

Before she could ask, something else caught her attention. A small black mourning ribbon was attached to one corner of the frame.

Her eyes widened.

“Did he... pass away?”

For the first time, Bastian’s expression shifted.

“No. He was just involved in an accident.”

He gestured toward a black leather sofa that probably cost more than six years’ worth of rent for her tiny home. After taking a seat behind the massive desk overlooking breathtaking floor-to-ceiling windows, he returned carrying a sleek black folder embossed with the Interglobe logo.

“Your employment contract. Take your time reading it. I’ll have someone bring us tea.”

He made a quick phone call. A few minutes later, an attendant arrived with two cups of hot tea. Jani barely noticed. She was already flipping through the contract. Everything looked standard, until she reached the salary section.

Her eyes flew open. The number printed there was far higher than the salary advertised in the recruitment flyer. Far higher. She read it again. Then a third time.

Just to make sure she hadn't mistaken the digits.

“Sir...”

Bastian looked at her over the rim of his teacup.

“Is something wrong, Miss?”

“No... It’s just...” she hesitated. “Isn’t this salary... unusually high?”

A faint smile curved his lips. “Whether it’s high or not depends on perspective. But that's our standard compensation for this position. Interglobe takes employee welfare very seriously, Ms. Anjani.”

This couldn’t be real!

No ordinary administrative position paid this much. Unless... there was something they weren't telling her.

But Jani swallowed the question. Right now, only one thing mattered. That number solved everything. Their overdue rent. Eki’s college tuition. Her mother’s dream of renovating the food stall. Buying a vehicle. Not just a motorcycle anymore. A car was finally within reach now.

***

Thousands of kilometers away from Jakarta...

A woman stood alone on the balcony of a luxurious apartment overlooking Lake Zurich. Her phone vibrated. A new message appeared.

The candidate has been successfully recruited.

She read it without the slightest change in expression. Then her fingers moved across the screen.

Proceed to the next phase. Don't let her die too soon.

She pressed Send.

Drawing a slow breath, she lifted her eyes back to the shimmering lake. Its peaceful surface reflected the morning sun.

As though nothing terrible had just been set into motion.