Theo worked in a big hardware store. He sold tools, paint, and many other things. He liked his job very much. One morning, his boss called him on the phone. His boss said, "Theo, we have an important video call today." Theo felt a little nervous. He was not very good with technology. He asked, "What is the call about?" His boss said, "A big company wants to buy a lot of products from us." Theo needed to show the products on the video call. He wanted everything to be perfect. He checked his tablet and made sure it was ready. He also found a quiet corner in the store. He put some tools on a table to show the company. He practiced what he wanted to say. He felt ready. At two o'clock, the video call started.

Theo smiled at the screen and said, "Hello, thank you for joining us today." The people on the call smiled back at him. He began to talk about the tools on the table. He picked up a large drill and said, "This is our best product this year." Everyone on the call looked very interested. Then Theo said, "And now I want to show you the price list." He looked down at his tablet to find the document. At that exact moment, the screen froze. Theo's face was stuck in a very strange position. His mouth was wide open and one eye was half closed. He could not move the image on the screen. He tapped the tablet again and again. Nothing happened. He said, "Oh no, can you hear me?" There was only silence. Theo waited for a few seconds. The screen was still frozen. He turned the tablet off and turned it on again.

He waited and waited. It felt like a very long time. Finally, the call connected again. The people on the screen were laughing. One woman said, "We could see your frozen face for three minutes!" Theo's face turned red. He felt very embarrassed. But then the woman said, "It was very funny. We all liked you." Theo laughed too and said, "I am sorry about that. Technology does not always like me." Everyone laughed again. After that, Theo showed them the price list. The meeting went very well. The company decided to buy many products. Theo was very happy, and he learned that sometimes problems can have good endings.

Theo had been working at the hardware store for nearly three years, and he had recently been promoted to sales manager. His new role involved speaking with clients, presenting product catalogues, and handling larger orders. One afternoon, his boss informed him that a major client wanted to discuss a bulk order of power tools and building supplies. The meeting would take place over a video call, which made Theo slightly anxious because the store's internet connection was often unreliable. To prepare, he arranged a display of the store's best products on a workbench near the stockroom, where it was quieter. He tested his laptop camera, adjusted the lighting, and rehearsed his presentation several times. Although he felt a flicker of worry about the connection, he told himself that everything would be fine.

The call began smoothly, and Theo introduced himself with confidence while gesturing towards the neatly arranged tools behind him. The clients, a team of four people, seemed genuinely impressed by the range of products he was describing. Theo was just about to reveal the discounted prices for bulk orders, which was the most important part of the entire presentation, when the screen suddenly froze. His image was stuck showing the most unflattering expression imaginable: his eyes were half shut, his mouth was twisted to one side, and one hand was raised awkwardly in the air. Theo could not hear or see the clients, and despite clicking every button on the screen, the connection refused to recover. He sat there staring at the frozen image of himself, feeling a rising wave of panic as the seconds ticked by. After what felt like an eternity, the screen went completely black.

Theo quickly restarted his laptop, reconnected to the internet, and rejoined the call with his heart pounding. To his surprise, all four clients were laughing warmly when his face reappeared on the screen. One of them said, "We have taken a screenshot of your frozen face because it was absolutely hilarious." Theo felt his cheeks burning with embarrassment, but he decided to handle the situation with humor rather than letting it ruin the meeting. He replied, "Well, I hope my frozen face is not the only thing you remember from today," which made everyone laugh even harder. The rest of the presentation went smoothly, and the clients ended up placing the largest order the store had received all year. As Theo closed his laptop afterwards, he smiled to himself, realizing that sometimes the most awkward moments can lead to the best outcomes.