If he's truly acquainted with Mr. Jennings, we can no longer target him. Instead, you'll have to befriend him," Zayne reminded. "I know that!" Maria rolled her eyes and stalked out of the office. News of the general manager hiring an ex-convict had already spread through the sales department—a dozen or so employees had already heard. Such gossip travels quickly, especially in a company like this.

"That man, Jared, must be connected to Mr. Jennings somehow. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been hired!" "I'm scared to work alongside an ex-convict." "We have to be careful when he arrives. If he really knows Mr. Jennings, we'll be in trouble if we offend him!" The sales staff whispered among themselves.

"What are you all doing? Don't you have any work?" Maria coldly reproached them upon exiting the office. Although just a sales representative, she wielded considerable influence, especially with Zayne as department manager. Her reprimand dispersed the group, except for a short-haired girl who approached her.

This was Lydia Wilson, a close friend. "Maria, did you hear? The sales department hired an ex-convict! Rumor is Mr. Jennings made the decision—they're probably connected," Lydia whispered. "Nonsense! He couldn't possibly be connected to Mr. Jennings. It's just luck!" Maria didn't believe Jared had any connection to the general manager.

Lydia was taken aback. "Are you acquainted with Jared?" Realizing her slip, Maria quickly shook her head. "I don't know any ex-convicts! I just think he couldn't possibly be connected to Mr. Jennings, having just been released from prison. Anyway, stop gossiping! I'll ask Mr. Carlson to inquire with Mr. Jennings."

About an hour later, Jared completed his onboarding. After receiving his ID, he went to the sales department, where everyone stared at him. He felt uncomfortable. "Congratulations on joining the sales department, Jared! Make sure you cherish this opportunity," Zayne said calmly. He didn't want to antagonize Jared until he knew his connection to Jennings. Jared nodded.

"Troy!" Zayne called to a bespectacled young man. The man quickly approached, murmuring, "You called, Mr. Carlson?"

"You'll be Jared's mentor. You'll be on a team, so teach him the ropes," Zayne instructed. The man looked conflicted. "Do you object?" Zayne glared. The man quickly shook his head. "No, no" Zayne smiled. "Go with him. His desk is next to yours." He returned to his office. The colleagues smirked at Jared. Maria stifled a giggle as she returned to her seat.

(The promotional material for FindNovel.net has been removed as it is irrelevant to the text cleanup.)