Chapter 183
The office door closed gently behind me.
The interior was brightly lit, and through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, you could overlook most of the city's landscape.
Mark wasn't sitting behind William's large desk, but was relaxed in a single armchair in the reception area.
His legs were crossed, a cup of gently steaming tea beside him, his entire figure bathed in the afternoon sunlight. Yet he didn't appear lazy at all—rather, he was like an elegant cheetah at rest, calm yet containing an undeniable power.
He just sat there casually, doing nothing, yet seemed to radiate his own light, making people instinctively want to focus their gaze on him.
I couldn't help but make an unconscious comparison between him and George in my mind.
George was ice, a mountain of eternal snow—cold, distant, high above, where approaching only brought bone-chilling cold and suffocating oppression.
But Mark before me, though our contact had been brief, felt more like light to me. Like sunlight breaking through clouds, warm but not scorching, steady and powerful, yet carrying a reassuring sense of acceptance that didn't make one feel pressured. Instead, there was a comfortable feeling of being respected and treated as an equal.
From just two brief encounters, my impression of him was indeed very good.
When William saw me enter, he immediately stepped forward, ready to formally introduce me to Mark, "Mr. Harris, this is our Star Tech's..."
"Grace, Ms. Brown," Mark had already taken over with a smile, his gaze falling on me, gentle yet certain, "I know—Star Tech's most core and outstanding technical backbone at the moment."
He paused, his lips curving into a subtle but sincere arc, his tone carrying a hint of appreciation, "I've seen the core code for the latest satellite orbit coordination and autonomous collision avoidance system installed by the Aviation Administration."
"Clear structure, rigorous logic, and most importantly, the stability and fault tolerance design is excellent—even surpassing the usual approach of some of our internal senior engineers."
His gaze met mine, containing no scrutiny, only pure technical discussion and recognition of ability, "I've always wanted a chance to see in person who wrote this code. I didn't expect to run into you in the elevator today, of all places."
His words left both William and me slightly stunned.
"I've always wanted to see you."
What did he mean by that?
With his status and position, did he really need to go to such lengths to see a certain engineer?
A flash of confusion also crossed William's eyes, but he recovered quickly, immediately smoothing things over with a laugh, his tone carrying just the right amount of surprise and pride, "I didn't realize our Grace's reputation had already reached such heights? Even Mr. Harris has heard of her? This is truly an honor for Star Tech!"
I also immediately collected myself. Whatever deeper meaning lay behind Mark's words, at this moment, I only needed to demonstrate professionalism and capability.
I stepped forward, bowing slightly, my tone humble yet confident, "Mr. Harris, you're too kind. Having your attention and recognition is my honor. If you don't mind, I can demonstrate the complete operational logic of this system and a practical simulation of the key code segments right now?"
Mark nodded slightly, making a gesture of invitation, his posture relaxed and focused, "Good, I'm looking forward to it."
I connected my laptop to the office's large screen, took a deep breath, pushed all distracting thoughts aside, and threw myself completely into the demonstration.
As I operated, I clearly and fluently explained the system's architectural design, core algorithm principles, response strategies for extreme situations, and the code-level pursuit of ultimate stability and efficiency.
Throughout the process, Mark sat quietly on the sofa, his gaze focused on following the code flow and simulation animations on the screen.
His expression was calm, showing no emotion, but that posture of complete attention was itself a form of the highest respect.
William also stood to the side without interrupting.
Because he knew very well that in front of a top technical expert and decision-maker like Mark, any extra explanation would be superfluous.
He only needed to wait quietly for Mark's own judgment.
The demonstration lasted about twenty minutes.
When I entered the final command and the screen showed the system perfectly handling a series of complex simulated tasks with all indicators meeting standards, I stopped my explanation.
The office fell completely silent.
William and I both unconsciously held our breath, our gazes nervously fixed on Mark.
The moment of waiting for judgment is always the most agonizing.
Mark maintained his original sitting position. He slowly uncrossed his legs, leaned forward slightly, his gaze seemingly still lingering on the final frozen image on the screen.
A few seconds of silence felt infinitely stretched.
Finally, he withdrew his gaze and turned toward us.
On his handsome and composed face, there was still no major change in expression. But the corners of his lips slowly curved upward.
Then he raised his hand and clapped twice softly. The applause wasn't loud, but in the quiet office, it was particularly clear.
"Good," just one word came from his mouth.
Not loud, but carrying an undeniable weight.
William and I almost simultaneously let out a long breath in our hearts.
Our taut nerves instantly relaxed, followed by tremendous joy and excitement.
Receiving this "good" from Mark's own mouth meant far more than any flowery praise.
This was almost equivalent to obtaining an entry ticket to cooperate with Harris Aviation Technology Group, and even the broader resources behind it.
William's face broke into a heartfelt smile. He looked at me, his tone full of praise and gratitude, "Grace, thank you for your hard work. The demonstration was excellent."
I shook my head, smiling, "It wasn't hard. Getting Mr. Harris's recognition makes any effort worthwhile."
Yes, worthwhile.
This was not only recognition of my personal abilities, but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Star Tech.
Harris Tech was an industrial giant that even the government eagerly sought to cooperate with. Connecting with them would open up immeasurable development opportunities for the future.
William struck while the iron was hot, turning to Mark with a beaming smile, "Mr. Harris, it's almost dinner time. I wonder if you have other plans for tonight? If you don't mind, there's a nice private restaurant near our company—quiet environment, decent food. I'd like to invite you to join us for a simple meal, and we could also discuss in depth the possibilities for future cooperation?"
This was a very standard business invitation, and also an opportunity to further build relationships and show sincerity.
William and I both looked at Mark expectantly.
However, Mark gently shook his head.