Chapter 20

Emily clutched the documents tightly as she left the CEO's office. her steps echoing her determination and courage.

Patrick watched her go, stunned. He hadn't expected her to take on the impossible task so decisively.

"Emily, are you really that eager to leave me?" Patrick's hand slammed down on the desk, his voice filled with frustration and anger. But Emily was already gone,too far to hear his words.

Outside the CEO's office, Emily glanced at what used to be her private secretary's office. It had once been her workspace, a place of hard work and ambition, but now it was empty and silent. Shirley had taken sick leave, leaving the office feeling particularly desolate.Emily couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia.

Just then, Iris approached her.

"Emily, Mr. Rivera has arranged for you to work in the small office next to the conference room for now," Iris said politely, with a hint of respect. She wanted the other colleagues to know that even if Emily wasn't favored, she still had the CEO's direct arrangement and a designated workspace,beyond their judgment.

Emily nodded in thanks and entered the small office. Though it wasn't large, it was well-equipped and sufficient for her to focus on her work.

She set down the documents and immediately dove into the demanding project. She knew time was of the essence and she had to

push forward relentlessly.

In the following days, Emily poured all her energy into the project.She understood that this project would determine whether she could leave, so she didn't dare slack off for a moment.

Every day, she arrived at the office early to start her work. She reviewed a vast amount of material. from academic papers to the latest industry developments, trying to find clues to breakthrough the key technologies. However, the project's difficulty far exceeded her expectations. What seemed like simple technical issues were actually complex mathematical operations and profound algorithm principles.

Despite her solid background in artificial intelligence from college.Emily still felt overwhelmed by these challenges.

With Patrick having disbanded the company's AI team, Emily was left to tackle the project alone, making it even more strenuous.

Late at night. Emily often found herself wworking alone in the office.

One afternoon, as her colleagues gradually left, Emily sat in her office,staring at the code and data on her computer screen, deep in thought.

She tried various possible solutions, but each attempt ended in failure,leaving her feeling incrediblyfrustrated and exhausted.

Whenever she felt like giving up, she would remember Patrick's cold face and his doubts about her abilities. These memories acted as an invisible force, driving her to keep going.

Just as she was intensely focused on her work, the phone rang. Emily glanced at the caller ID.hesitated for a moment. and then answered.

"Emily,do you have time to grab dinner tonight?" Marlon's gentle voice came through the line.

"No, I still have some work to finish here." Emily replied. her throat a bit hoarse from not having had a sip of water all afternoon.

Marlon said. "Don't be so quick to turn me down. I heard you're working on the TX1 new intelligent system project. right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Emily asked, surprised.

Marlon said, "This is a secret. But seriously, this project is a huge undertaking. You're in for a tough time."

"I know, I'm already struggling with it," Emily admitted.

Marlon said, "Don't worry. I set up a meeting with Dr. David Garcia from the National Intelligent Systems Research Group. He's an expert in this field and might have some useful advrice. You can discuss it over dinner."

Emily felt a surge of gratitude. "Really? That would be amazing!Thank you."

"I'm downstairs at your office. Pack up and come down quickly,"Marlon said warmly.

"Okay!" Emily grabbed her bag and hurried downstairs.

When Marlon saw Emily, her hair slightly disheveled and dark

circles under her eyes, he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.

In his office, Patrick stood by the window, watching Marlon and Emily below. For some reason, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

Patrick's phone rang, displaying David's number.

David said, "Hello, Mr. Rivera. As per your instructions. I deliberately let the Hughes Group know about my schedule. Their CEO has already arranged dinner with me tonight. What should I do next?"

David was actually one of the people Patrick intended to hire for the project, though it hadn't been announced yet. They had known each other from their time abroad, and David had once been bested by Patrick in the field of AI. But times had changed, and Patrick had moved on from his research.

When Patrick instructed David to leak the information, David thought it was to steal trade secrets, feeling conflicted yet excited about the espionage.

"Answer their questions honestly and offer help if needed," Patrick said calmly.

Though he had set up this project to challenge Emily, he didn't want her to leave the company. He knew that if she left, it would mean the end of any possibility between them. But seeing her work tirelessly, looking so worn out, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

David found it hard to believe. Was the domestic market really this harmonious now?

Emily and Marlon had just sat down when David arrived at the restaurant.

David. a middle-aged man with a modest appearance, had eyes that revealed depth and wisdom.

Emily and Marlon stood to greet him, and the three of them sat down together.

At the table. Emily detailed the project's background and challenges to David. After listening. David fell into deep thought.

"The TX1 new intelligent system project presents a challenge. but it is certainly solvable. The key lies in finding a new algorithm to optimize the system's performance." David said.

Emily's eyes lit up. "A new algorithm? Can you elaborate?"

David nodded and began explaining his idea in detail.

He proposed a new algorithm based on deep learning, which could automatically optimize the system's performance through extensive data training and learning.

Emily found his explanation very reasonable and decided to try the algorithm as soon as she returned.

During the meal, the three of them discussed many topics related to artificial intelligence and intelligent systems.

Emily learned a lot of new knowledge and perspectives from David and Marlon's conversation.

She sensed a significant expansion in her perspective and thought.

David also offered his contact information, indicating his willingness to help in the future.

Emily felt a surge of gratitude and anticipation. With David's help,she might be able to find the breakthrough she needed to complete the project.

"Thank you so much!" Emily raised her glass.

David humbly waved his hand. "If you want to thank someone,thank Patri... I mean, Mr. Hughes!"

Emily turned to Marlon and smiled.

The three of them clinked glasses, chatting and laughing as they ended the meal on a pleasant note.