Work Like a Spy

The Conversation

The hotel bar had been packed with dozens of convivial trade-show attendees. The hour was late and now only a handful of partyers remained. They included a man in a wrinkled suit who sat at the bar by himself, nursing his final drink of the night. A young, attractive woman entered the bar and took the adjacent stool. She carried a canvas bag prominently bearing the trade show’s logo. Like the man at the bar, she wore a trade-show ID on the lapel of her business suit.

The young woman looked at the man and casually pointed to their IDs. “Are you celebrating or drowning your sorrows?” the woman inquired. “It seems like a pretty tough sell out there this year.” The man had had a terrible sales year, which perhaps accounted for all his drinking. He told the empathetic young woman that he was sick and tired of his job.

As they spoke further, she told him that she knew of an opportunity that would be perfect for someone with his experience. Suddenly energized, and hoping to impress her, the man started bragging about his vast industry know-how. He detailed his past technical experience at a state laboratory in his home country. The young woman listened...