Chapter 25
Without Shirley stirring up trouble, Emily dove headfirst into the project, excited to wrap it up and make a grand exit from the Rivera Group.Just thinking about it made her grin.
The project soon hit the testing phase, and Emily was pumped,feeling like freedom was just around the corner. But there was a tiny bit of hesitation in her heart.
Then,out of nowhere, a bug popped up during testing, making Emily scowl. She tried debugging over andI over but got nowhere.Frustrated, she called David, "Hey. Dr. Garcia, got a sec? There's a problem with the projecttest, and I need your help." Her voice was respectful but urgent.
"Well, I'm at the Southern Research Center right now and won't be back for a week. How about we talk when I get back?" David replied.
Emily couldn't wait that long and quickly asked, "Dr. Garcia,can you help me over the phone?" For her, even a few days felt like forever right now"
After Emily explained the problem briefly, David paused. The issue was tough, but Mr. Rivera had told him to help, so he couldn't say no."Alright, Emily, I know a tech expert who just got back to the country. I'll try to set up a meeting for you."
"That would be awesome!" Emily couldn't hide her excitement.
Soon, David sent over the business card of Andrew Anderson, the Deputy Director of ELE Artificial Intelligence Institute. That
afternoon. Andrew agreed to help. Emily quickly sent over the details of the issue and soon got a reply.
Andrew: [Hi, Emily, I've looked over your problem. If you have time,bring the relevant materials to my office, and I can help you in person.]
Emily: [Thank you so much.]
Andrew: [I'm at the Synergy Research Center.You can find me here.]
Emily: [Thanks, Mr. Anderson!]
Emily quickly packed her things and headed out.
As she drove further out, Emily felt a bit uneasy but reminded herself that research centers were often in remote areas to avoid disturbances.
Soon,she met Andrew and his assistant. The assistant, in her twenties,had a striking figure even in a loose lab coat. Andrew, in his fifties,had thinning hair, pale skin behind large black-rimmed glasses,and a fit physique.
Andrew looked at Emily sternly, frowning. She instinctively looked down, feeling self-conscious in her form-fitting work clothes. Andrew quickly looked away and took her laptop. Emily stood politely by the desk, watching as he replaced the code.
Emily felt uneasy; her original setup seemed fine, and this change could mess things up. "If we follow the usual programming setup here, it will definitely cause issues during later testing," she said softly,
leaning in closer, making her curves more noticeable.
Emily didn't notice the assistant's unfriendly gaze beside her.
"Alright, Emily, you can start testing again," Andrew said with a smile. She marveled at his skill, solving in minutes what she couldn't in hours. She quickly sat down, focused on testing, her fingers flying over the keyboard, oblivious to the unfriendly gaze behind her.
Andrew stood behind her, a cold smile on his lips, his eyes filled with greedy desire, roaming over her body, finally resting on her chest. He slowly reached out his right hand, pressing down on Emily's hand on the keyboard. She instinctively tried to pull away but was held tightly.
At the same time, Andrew's other hand wrapped around her shoulder,trapping her in the chair. Emily struggled in fear, "What are you doing?" Her voice trembled, unable to believe this seemingly respectable director could be so shameless. Disgust and anger surged within her as she fought with all her might, but Andrew's strength was overwhelming.
Andrew's face inched closer, his hands brazenly reaching for her bra."Aren't you afraid of making headlines tomorrow?" Emily tried to stay calm.
Andrew sneered, "Headlines? Who's going to report it? Me? You?"Emily looked at the assistant. Andrew called out dismissively, "Echo,come here!" The assistant immediately approached, kneeling before him.
"I want you, now!" Andrew ordered. The assistant, expressionless.quickly undressed, revealing bruised breasts and a flat stomach.Emily was shocked to see the assistant wasn't wearing underwear.clearly ready for Andrew whenever he wanted.
Meanwhile, in the Rivera Group's CEO office.
"Mr. Rivera, here are the top technical experts we plan to hire. Please review." Patrick took the list, his eyes landing on Andrew's profile.He had heard of Andrew's top-notch skills but also knew of his poor personal conduct and numerous sexual harassment allegations.
The new secretary,seeing Patrick's interest, explained, "Mr. Rivera.Andrew graduated from the prestigious Ivy League and is now the Deputy Director of ELE Artificial Intelligence Institute.He has expressed interest in collaborating with our company."
"Is this all the information we have on him?" Patrick frowned.
Shirley,passing by,saw the secretary's awkwardness and, wanting to assert herself. walked in. "Patrick, I'm familiar with him too. Despite some past harassment allegations, his skills in AI are top-tier. If he joins us, it would be a huge asset."
Patrick looked at Shirley, puzzled. Firmly, he said, "Shirley, remember,our company will not, now or ever, hire someone like him!"