Chapter 233
I didn't move, and I didn't explain.
Some things get messier the more you explain them.
The more eager you are to clear things up, the more guilty people think you are.
Just then, Atticus suddenly spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the people around us to hear, "Making up facts is a crime."
Terry's expression froze.
He whipped his head around to look at Atticus, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"Atticus, what do you mean? What did I make up?"
"You know what you did," Atticus's face remained calm as he even picked up his wine glass and took a sip.
"What do I know? Atticus, whose side are you on anyway?" Terry's voice rose a bit, drawing more people's attention."You're going against me for an outsider?"
"I'm just reminding you, this is government territory. Watch what you say," after Atticus finished speaking, he stopped looking at Terry and turned to walk toward the other side.
Terry's face flushed red with anger. He glared hard at Atticus's retreating back, then shot me a vicious look before stomping over to the buffet table, grabbing a drink and downing it.
William said quietly, "Just a scene. Don't take it to heart."
I shook my head, "I'm used to it."
I really was used to it.
From the moment I decided to divorce George and start over at Star Tech, I knew I'd face these challenges.
I just didn't expect Terry's hostility toward me to run this deep.
Before, I just thought he was Sarah's knight in shining armor, but now it seemed like more than that.
The resentment in his eyes had gone beyond just standing up for a friend.
Could he actually have feelings for Sarah?
And when did Atticus start speaking up for me?
Something's off.
The thought flashed through my mind, but before I could think it through, people gathered around us.
It was some suppliers I'd dealt with before, plus two tech media reporters.
They'd clearly heard the news.
Star Tech was partnering with Harris Tech and the Aviation Administration project using our code. Suddenly, William had become a hot commodity.
"Mr. Jones, congratulations! The Aviation Administration case is a golden credential!"
"Mr. Jones is so accomplished at such a young age. Star Tech has only been around a few years and already reached this scale."
"I heard you're going into deep cooperation with Harris Tech? A powerful alliance!"
William handled it smoothly, wearing an appropriate smile as he accepted the flattery.
Then he did something I didn't expect.
He gently draped his arm around my shoulder and guided me forward a step, placing me in front of everyone.
"You're all too kind, but the core code for the Aviation Administration's distributed node management system," he paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone present, "was completed independently by Vice President Grace. She's Star Tech's most core technical talent and our VP. Star Tech wouldn't be where it is today without her."
When he finished, there was a moment of silence.
The people who'd gathered around were clearly stunned, their eyes all focusing on my face.
Surprise, doubt, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible realization.
They probably hadn't expected William to push me forward so boldly and deliberately.
Even less had they expected that the legendary genius code came from the hands of a woman who looked...
Who looked nothing like a programmer.
Terry's cold laugh rang out at that moment.
He'd somehow wandered back and was standing on the edge of the crowd. His voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp enough, "Mr. Jones really is generous, so willing to put people on a pedestal."
"But aren't you afraid that when everyone finds out her real abilities, it'll drag down your company?"
William's brow furrowed instantly.
He looked at Terry, his eyes turning cold, "You can't just say whatever you want. Ms. Brown's abilities have been witnessed by everyone at Star Tech, our partners, and the experts at Aviation Administration. You'd better be careful with baseless speculation."
Terry opened his mouth, seeming like he wanted to argue back, but his eyes flickered, as if he suddenly thought of something, and he forcibly swallowed his words.
He just glared at me viciously, the resentment in his eyes almost overflowing, then turned and walked away again.
This time, even the people around who'd just been watching the drama looked at me with complicated expressions.
Probing, curious, with a hint of anticipation for gossip.
William didn't pay any more attention to Terry.
His hand on my shoulder pressed slightly harder, like silent support, then he turned to face those people with their various expressions and began introducing me one by one.
From my educational background to the projects I'd participated in, to my contributions in several key technical breakthroughs.
His tone was calm and firm, every word carrying weight.
I stood beside him, keeping a smile on my face, but my mind was crystal clear.
I knew these people wouldn't truly accept me just because of William's few words.
They hadn't heard my name at industry summits, hadn't seen my name in the author credits of top papers, hadn't even seen me at any major technical launches.
A suddenly appearing, somewhat too-pretty female VP was easier to remember and talk about than any technical achievement.
They smiled politely, nodded, said they'd heard so much about me, but the doubt in their eyes hadn't faded.
Some even exchanged glances with meanings that were obvious.
William pushing me so hard—his motives probably weren't pure.
What wouldn't a man say for a pretty woman?
I didn't explain.
At a time like this, any explanation would be weak and powerless.
People only want to believe what they want to believe.
What I needed to do now wasn't argue with words, but use the upcoming projects, use real results, to crush their doubts bit by bit.
After William's introduction, someone naturally asked about the specific details of the Harris Tech cooperation.
William spoke eloquently while I added technical points.
The conversation gradually got back on track, and those probing, ambiguous looks were temporarily replaced by professional discussion.
But I could feel a gaze that kept falling on me, on and off.
Not Terry, not Atticus.
Using the motion of raising my glass to drink, I glanced sideways, scanning the other side of the hall with my peripheral vision.
George was standing there, talking with a leader.
He was facing sideways to me, seemingly fully focused.
Sarah was holding his arm, her smile radiant.
Maybe it was just my imagination.
I withdrew my gaze and drained the rest of the champagne in my glass.
The cold liquid slid down my throat, taking away the last bit of heaviness.
William finished the conversation here and said quietly, "Let's go over there. A leader's secretary is there, let's go say hello."
"Okay."
We walked side by side toward the other end of the hall.
Eyes still followed us, whispers still surrounded us.
But I straightened my back even more.
Whether it was putting on an act, being a trophy, or even rumors about sleeping my way to the top—let them think what they want.
Where I walk is my path.
William and I came to this conference today with a simple purpose: to find reliable production partners.
The EverTrue Precision that Mark recommended—we'd scheduled a factory visit for next Wednesday.
But William's thinking was that we couldn't put all our hopes in one company.
With so many companies here today, it was a good chance to connect with a few more. What if there was something more suitable?
Sarah had been following George through the crowd.
Her state today was different from usual—more proactive, more engaged, always wearing a perfectly appropriate smile. When talking with those leaders and entrepreneurs, she was poised and knew when to advance and retreat.
George stood beside her, occasionally adding a few words, but mostly just silently accompanying her.
Anyone could see he was helping Sarah.
Pushing Sarah to the forefront, introducing her to the network of contacts he'd built up over the years, letting her enter this circle as the person in charge of Morningstar Tech.
I withdrew my gaze and continued flipping through the company directory in my hand.
How Sarah chose to walk her path was none of my business.
William had sharp eyes. Seeing a middle-aged man talking with someone not far away, he said quietly, "That's Louis Cox, founder and chief technical engineer of EverTrue Precision, the one Mark highly recommended."
"He's not only a top precision manufacturing expert in the industry, but he also owns a university-affiliated factory with strong technical capabilities. I heard the equipment and quality control are all to military standards."
"If we can make a deal, it could solve at least thirty percent of our production capacity gap."
I followed his line of sight.