Chapter 372 Do You Accept the Punishment?
After hearing everyone's jokes, Rodolfo also had a smile on his face and said, "The student I teach isn't really different from everyone else.
Just like all you excellent young people here, each has their own strengths.
Compared to you seniors, she still has many shortcomings and a lot to learn."
At this point, Rodolfo didn't defend Olivia, pointing out several areas where she needed to improve.
"Compared to you all, she has too little experience. Her ideas are innovative and bold, but most of them are just theoretical - the failure rate is too high.
She's far behind you seniors.
But fortunately, she's still young and has a long road ahead.
Zoey, you don't need to look at her like that just because she's your team leader and defend her like this.
After all, the leadership knows exactly what Olivia is capable of."
When saying this, Rodolfo's tone was calm and understated.
With just a few words, he wiped away Zoey's earlier attempt to set them up for a fall.
After hearing this, Olivia didn't feel upset about these words.
Because she agreed with what Rodolfo said.
She really did have those shortcomings.
But after Rodolfo finished speaking, she actually felt relieved.
She understood that in a place full of talent like the research institute, while individual ability mattered, standing out too much was also taboo.
Not to mention, she and Rodolfo worked together.
She was afraid people would gossip about connections and use that to attack and slander them.
It's not like a research institute is some peaceful paradise.
The world is a huge arena of fame and fortune, and the research institute is no different.
Everyone wants to be famous.
If they let people speculate wildly, all the efforts and achievements she and Rodolfo made in the future would be greatly discounted.
Zoey was really malicious.
It seemed she still needed to be more careful.
Olivia's eyes darkened a bit.
The current leadership and other newcomers didn't think much of it, just taking it as Rodolfo being modest.
Only Zoey's expression wasn't great.
Because nothing had achieved the effect she wanted.
After the meeting ended, everyone dispersed.
Charlotte also sent her a message asking: [Has your plan started? How's it going?]
Seeing Charlotte's message, Zoey calmed down again and quickly replied: [No progress yet, but don't worry, I'm always looking for opportunities. Soon.]
Charlotte seemed a bit impatient. She urged: [You've already dragged this out too long. If you mess up again this time, you don't need to associate with me anymore.
As for Oscar's family, they have no value to exist either. I'll have them completely removed from the prestigious families!]
Seeing this last sentence, Zoey's expression changed slightly, and she felt some panic and fear.
She quickly said: [Don't worry, I'll definitely handle this beautifully and make you satisfied!]
With her assurance, Charlotte finally held back her emotions and said: [Then I'll wait for your good news.]
After placating Charlotte, Zoey returned to the conference room.
When she entered, she saw Olivia and Oscar discussing something.
She immediately suppressed her emotions and went over to join them.
The new task's development was much more difficult than the last one.
Olivia and Oscar had some disagreements about the formula separation ratio.
They went back and forth for quite a while.
Finally, Oscar compromised first, "There's no point in us arguing about who's right. Let's just practice directly.
Since you think your separation method will work, let's use your method first."
Zoey, watching from the side, felt a surge of anger stuck in her chest, very uncomfortable.
Here we go again!
He's accommodating Olivia again!
Every time the team had something to discuss, he would end up adopting Olivia's method.
If that's the case, why not just listen to Olivia directly for everything? Why bother discussing?
The more Zoey thought about it, the more upset she became.
However, blinded by jealousy, she overlooked one fact.
That was, every time they used the method Olivia proposed, it always succeeded in the end.
Not only successful, but also more efficient and with higher accuracy.
Her mind was full of prejudice against Olivia, so she always felt that Olivia wanted to take all the credit for herself.
Oscar and Olivia were very efficient.
A few hours later, Olivia's experimental results came out.
The effect was indeed just as she had said.
After looking at it, Oscar's eyes were full of admiration for her, "Olivia, it seems I still underestimated you. You're really amazing!"
When Olivia started her practice earlier, Oscar was also practicing his own proposed method.
But now, he was only halfway through.
Whose method was better was obvious at a glance.
Hearing his praise, Zoey felt even more displeased.
She had worked with Oscar for so many years and rarely heard him praise her.
She immediately narrowed her eyes, a flash of viciousness crossing them.
But the other two people present didn't notice.
That evening, before leaving work, after triple-checking the recorded research data, Olivia instructed Oscar beside her, "When you're done, print out the file, seal it, and submit it. I'm leaving now."
Oscar nodded at her and said, "Okay, leave it to me. Be safe on your way."
She thought everything was going as smoothly as expected.
But unexpectedly, the next morning.
Shortly after Olivia entered the research institute, she was suddenly called over by the leader of the newcomer group - Leon Banks.
Olivia was still wondering why the leader wanted to see her.
As soon as she entered the office, she saw several management personnel already there.
After a moment of surprise, she politely greeted everyone, then looked at the leader and asked, "Dr. Banks, what happened?"
Leon's expression was serious and stern. He said, "I called you here to ask about something."
He took out a document bag that looked somewhat familiar to Olivia and asked, "Were you the one who did the final confirmation on this data compilation?"
Olivia nodded and said, "Yes, is there a problem?"
The document bag was indeed the one she had given to Oscar last night.
A senior colleague who didn't get along with Rodolfo sternly rebuked her, "You still have the nerve to ask!
Because of your data error, when the upper level started development this morning, there was a problem with conflicting formulas.
The laboratory exploded. Although the scope was small, one researcher was injured because of it.
Olivia, do you admit your mistake or not!"
Olivia's expression changed, finding it hard to believe, "This... how could this be?"
Leon said with a serious expression, "I've verified it. There is indeed one set of data in this record that's wrong. Open it and see for yourself."
Olivia quickly opened the file and found that the circled area was indeed wrong.
Moreover, it was a quite critical part.
She was stunned on the spot.
Because she remembered very clearly that last night, this place didn't have this number.
Olivia also understood the seriousness of the matter.
She quickly asked with concern, "I don't know how that injured colleague is doing now?"
Leon said, "The person is fine, but their skin was burned. This matter was ultimately caused by you."
As long as they were okay, she would find time to visit them later.
Olivia took a deep breath, her eyes becoming more serious, and explained to Leon, "Dr. Banks, there's something I need to clarify. This data is not the copy I submitted.
Before leaving work last night, I checked it several times.
The original data is still on my computer.
The original file I exported and printed is not this one."
Frank Larson, who had just reprimanded Olivia, immediately rebuked her sternly upon hearing this, "Olivia, we called you here today to criticize you and let you know the seriousness of the matter, not to let you make excuses!
As a newcomer, if you made a mistake, you made a mistake. Are you trying to avoid responsibility?"
Olivia shook her head and said, "If I really made a mistake, I naturally need to take responsibility and accept punishment.
But this data really didn't come from my hands.
If you believe me, you can let me bring my computer over.
Or you can go get my computer and look at it to prove my innocence!"
Leon had always appreciated this junior Olivia and knew her conscientious nature.
Hearing this, he didn't assume Olivia was making excuses like Frank did.
After a few seconds of silent thought, he looked at Olivia and said, "Olivia, have you thought this through?
If you're proving yourself, and it turns out you really made a mistake, then the nature of this will be different from now. You'll have to accept punishment.
And it will be double punishment, because your request for verification now will become an excuse."
The other leaders in the office were also staring at Olivia.
That intimidating gaze would definitely make anyone else feel pressured.
But Olivia wasn't afraid at all.
She firmly believed she hadn't made a mistake.
So she said to Leon, "I've thought it through. I request verification!"
A hint of approval flashed in Leon's eyes.
He said, "In that case, I'll grant your request!"
Soon, he called his assistant and instructed him, "Go get Olivia's work computer, and also call her two team members over."
"Yes." The assistant nodded and quickly left.
Before long, Oscar and Zoey, who had received the notice, also arrived.
Seeing a group of leaders in the office, both felt an invisible pressure in the air.
And Olivia, who had just left, was now standing in the middle of the crowd, as if separated from the leaders.
What was going on?
Oscar put away his speculative thoughts and spoke first, asking, "Dr. Banks, you called us - did something happen?"
Leon didn't say anything for now, but looked at the assistant who had returned with him.
The assistant brought the computer before everyone, and Leon personally opened it.
They verified the original data.
The result showed that what Olivia said was indeed correct.
The file on her computer was completely different from that erroneous file. What was going on?
The leaders looked at each other, all frowning, sensing something was wrong, and instinctively looked at the three people before them.
Oscar increasingly felt that something had happened.
And it wasn't a small matter.
He immediately asked again, "Dr. Banks, what exactly happened?"
Leon put down the documents in his hand, no longer hiding anything, and directly told him about the data and the laboratory accident.
After hearing this, Oscar's expression was also very surprised, "How could there be an error? This shouldn't happen."
He had looked at those materials last night.
Leon's serious gaze looked at them and asked, "Besides Olivia, did anyone else handle this data?"
"This..."
Oscar's eyes showed some hesitation, but he still said honestly, "Besides Olivia, only me.
I printed this file last night, but I didn't touch the contents!"
After hearing his answer, Leon looked at Zoey, waiting for her to speak.
Zoey didn't say anything.
Her expression showed some reluctance to speak.
Frank noticed and questioned her sternly, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. Don't waste everyone's time."
His tone was a bit harsh, and Zoey seemed frightened, not daring to hide anything anymore.
She immediately said, "Of course I trust Olivia's diligence and hard work.
She does check the data multiple times before leaving work every day.
But even so, there can still be times when mistakes happen, right?
Last night when Oscar was printing the file, I was also there. I can testify that he really didn't touch that data.
As for why the original file is different from the printed copy, maybe it's because Olivia came early this morning and discovered it, so..."
Zoey didn't continue the rest of her words.
But the implication was already very clear.
It should be that Olivia came in the morning, discovered the problem, and made changes in advance.
The research institute's system could only be used inside the research institute.
And it was already this time. From a timing perspective, it was completely plausible.
Frank immediately seized on this like catching someone's pigtail and rebuked, "Olivia, what else do you have to say?"
Olivia's expression wasn't good. The look she gave Zoey was full of coldness and sharpness.
She already knew what was really going on.
She had been too careless!
Knowing Zoey was problematic, yet she hadn't guarded against this.
The data error was definitely related to Zoey!
Before, she had thought that this woman could at least be clear-headed about serious matters and wouldn't tamper with work.
She didn't expect she would actually dare!
Zoey seemed to notice Olivia's gaze and said with a very innocent expression, "Olivia, why are you looking at me like that?
Work data naturally needs to be treated rigorously.
I don't want errors to happen either.
To be honest, this is just business.
I know you always pursue perfection in your work.
You might not want to admit this problem.
But it's okay, we're a team.
If there's any punishment, we'll bear it together with you. We won't let you suffer alone!"
Although Oscar hadn't detected the problem, hearing Zoey's words now, he also felt something was a bit off.
But in the current situation, it didn't seem appropriate to argue about anything.
After hearing Zoey's words, Frank was even angrier and questioned, "Olivia, do you admit your fault or not?"