Chapter 176
"However," I frowned and voiced my confusion, "as far as I know, Harris Tech has plenty of top-notch code engineers. That satellite orbit coordination code last time, though somewhat challenging, shouldn't be too difficult for them to write at the same level or even better with their talent pool, right? Why would they specifically seek me out?"
I gave a self-deprecating laugh, "To be honest, this feels a bit too flattering, even somewhat unreal."
William actually laughed when he heard me.
He casually leaned against my desk, arms crossed, looking at me, "Grace, you really don't have a clear understanding of your own abilities."
He dropped the smile and said seriously, "Yes, Harris Tech has plenty of talent, and there are definitely people who can write code at that level, but..."
He emphasized, "Being able to write it, and being able to write immediately usable, stable, efficient, nearly error-free code—those are two different things."
"That core code you submitted last time, after repeated testing by our internal team and third-party organizations, exceeded expectations in stability, error tolerance, and operational efficiency in actual simulation environments."
"To use the rather modest evaluation they sent over—it works well."
He looked at my slightly widened eyes and continued, "What they need isn't just an engineer who can write it, but an engineer who can write Grace-style code."
"Your approach, your algorithm optimization skills, your almost instinctive grasp of complex system stability—that's what they truly value."
I froze, the coffee cup in my hand suspended in mid-air.
William's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up quite a ripple in my heart.
I'd always known I had some talent in programming and was willing to work hard, but I'd never elevated myself to such a level.
"You're exaggerating," I reflexively objected, my voice a bit hoarse. "I'm not that good."
William just hummed, his tone flat but unquestionable, "You are that good."
He looked at me, as if finally deciding to reveal a secret, "Actually, after the Stellar Tech annual awards gala ended last time, someone privately asked me about you, wanting to invite you to join their core team."
"But considering your situation at the time, and the potential trouble from the Smith family, to protect you and for Star Tech's stability, I didn't agree and didn't tell you."
So that's how it was.
I put down my coffee cup, feeling mixed emotions.
"Alright," I took a deep breath, accepting this fact, half-jokingly saying, "I didn't realize that without knowing it, I'd become this capable."
This honest conversation with William lifted my somewhat heavy mood considerably.
The feeling of being recognized and needed diluted my recent exhaustion and depression.
"I might need to handle some matters at my mom's company tomorrow," I told William. "Some employees we hired, hearing the company's in trouble, might want to take their wages and leave. I need to go check on things, stabilize the situation, and handle the aftermath."
William nodded understandingly, "Okay, don't worry about the company here. I'll have preliminary discussions with Harris Tech, explain your situation, and arrange a time that works for both parties."
"Thanks, I appreciate it," I said sincerely.
Early the next morning, instead of going to the hospital, I drove straight to Mom's company.
Mom's company was located in a not-so-new but reasonably well-positioned office building, renting two floors.
Before, whenever I visited, though not bustling, I could see employees busy at work, Mom sitting in her small office making business calls, full of energy.
But today, before my car even stopped, I saw a small crowd gathered in the open space below the company building.
About seven or eight people, men and women, who looked like Mom's company employees.
They were clustered together, talking animatedly, holding rolled-up white banners with black characters vaguely visible—things like "heartless boss" and "unpaid wages."
My heart sank.
After parking, I took a deep breath, grabbed my bag, and walked over.
My appearance immediately caught their attention.
Everyone's eyes turned to me in unison, filled with doubt, dissatisfaction, and a hint of obvious contempt.
They probably all recognized me, knew I was the boss's daughter who married into wealth.
Before, they might have treated me with some courtesy and envy, but now, with the company on the verge of collapse and Mom hospitalized, in their eyes, I was probably just unreliable.
"Ms. Brown is here!" someone shouted.
The crowd stirred slightly but showed no intention of making way. Instead, they seemed to be closing in.
I stopped and calmly swept my gaze over each of them, finally settling on a slightly older male employee who seemed to be the leader.
"Please make way, I need to unlock the door and go in." My voice wasn't loud but clear enough.
No one moved.
The lead male employee, Heath, was the business manager at Mom's company and usually quite capable.
But now he frowned, his tone harsh, "Ms. Brown, it's not that we won't let you through—we need an explanation today."
"The boss is hospitalized, the company's in this state, all business has stopped, investors have fled, and we all have families to feed. Last month's wages still haven't been fully paid, and this month's—there's no sign of them at all."
"If we can't get the money today, we... we'll have no choice but to do this!"
He raised the banner in his hand.
The others chimed in, talking over each other, emotions running high.
"Right! We can't work for nothing!"
"Is the company going bankrupt? Even if it does, our wages need to be settled first!"
"Doesn't your family have money? Pay us first!"
The noisy voices surrounded me, full of anxiety and distrust.
I stood quietly, waiting for their voices to die down a bit before speaking again, my tone still calm, "If you want to waste time here, fine. I'm not afraid of wasting time anyway."
I paused, then said clearly, word by word, "But think it through—right now, those willing to go inside and talk, willing to hear my plans for what comes next, won't lose a penny of their wages, and I'll consider appropriate compensation."
My voice suddenly turned cold, "But if you insist on making a scene here and destroying whatever goodwill and dignity remains..."
"Then I have nothing more to say. You can keep holding your banners while I call the police to handle this labor dispute."
"When that happens, we'll follow whatever procedures need to be followed, wait however long it takes!"
I looked at their slightly changing expressions and delivered the crucial line, "In short, do you think you're more likely to get your money by talking nicely now, or by making things ugly and waiting for an endless labor arbitration?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing some of their fire.
Though harsh, it was an undeniable truth.
They were making a scene, ultimately, for money.
If things really got out of hand and went through legal procedures, time-consuming and exhausting, whether they could get their full wages in the end was still uncertain.
The crowd fell silent for a few seconds.
Heath exchanged glances with several other employees, and the hardness on their faces softened somewhat.
Finally, Heath stepped aside first, saying gruffly, "...Ms. Brown, please."
Seeing this, the others hesitantly made way.
My expression unchanged, I walked through them, took out the spare key Mom had given me, and opened the company's glass door.
Entering the somewhat empty and cold office area, I didn't go to Mom's office but walked directly to the center of the common office area, turned around, and faced the employees who had followed me in.
"Everyone find a seat. Let's have a short meeting."