Brandon Lee

Brendol Lee sat in his office, wearily rubbing his temples. The company was growing, the workload was mounting, but he couldn't find a competent and reliable employee. He'd already reviewed dozens of resumes and conducted countless interviews, but not a single candidate felt like they were the right person for him.

"Age: at least twenty," he repeated to himself as he composed his next ad. "The young ones don't know how to take a hit yet, don't understand responsibility. And I need someone who won't run away at the first sign of trouble."

The ad spread across the relevant platforms, and within a couple of days, a new resume arrived in his inbox. Brendol opened it with his usual degree of skepticism. The young man's photo immediately caught his eye: his eyes radiated stubborn determination, his posture a hidden strength. The resume itself was equally impressive: clear language, specific achievements, and no fluff. "Too good to be true," Brendol thought, but decided to schedule a meeting anyway.

The young man arrived for the interview on time. In person, he looked even more serious than in his photo. He spoke with restraint, answered tricky questions without unnecessary bravado, and yet demonstrated an understanding of the intricacies of the job that many experienced employees only learned months later. Brendol caught himself thinking that for the first time in a long time, he was seeing someone who wasn't trying to appear better than they were, but simply showing what they were capable of.

By the end of the conversation, Brendol was almost ready to offer him a job. Only the formality of checking his documents remained.

“Show me your passport, please,” he asked, trying to sound casual.

The guy calmly pulled out a document and handed it to Brendol. He took the passport, opened it, and froze. The "date of birth" field read: eighteen years old.