Chapter 128 Every Time I Need You, You Are There
Andrew instantly picked up on something wrong in her voice and immediately asked, "Dr. Garcia, what's the matter?"
Olivia hadn't looked at the caller ID earlier. Only now, hearing the man's familiar deep, warm voice, did she snap back to reality.
She forced herself to sound upbeat and replied, "Mr. Hamilton, it's you? I'm... fine."
Andrew naturally didn't believe her.
That voice didn't sound fine at all.
"You're not well."
His tone was certain, steadily pressing, "Is it physical or mental? I saw the news... Either way, I hope you'll tell me right away."
Olivia hadn't wanted to trouble him.
But right now, she really wasn't okay.
Not just mentally, but physically too.
She might actually need him to help her work through this.
Olivia quickly answered, "I... am affected by the news. Today, the new drug released by the Johnson Group was stolen from me. It's the result of months of work with my team, and I have no idea how it ended up in their hands..."
Her voice caught, tinged with vulnerability and helplessness. "I can't catch whoever leaked it... I've tried my best to analyze everything, but I still have no clue. In my panic, my mental state took a hit, and my heart feels uncomfortable too."
Andrew frowned.
He'd thought she was affected by the scandal between those two, but it turned out there was something even more serious.
The amount of effort and energy needed to develop a specialized drug was obvious without even thinking about it.
Having the results directly stolen would be a blow to anyone.
Andrew immediately reassured her, "The more times like this come up, the more you can't lose your cool. The other side clearly came prepared. No matter how perfect your defenses are, there will be times you can't guard against everything. If you panic now, you'll be playing right into their hands...
Maybe those people want to see you lose control and do something irrational.
Do you want to give them that satisfaction?"
"No!"
Olivia answered without hesitation.
Before the divorce, she'd fought tooth and nail to prove herself.
The last thing she wanted was to be looked down on by the Johnson family!
She wanted to use her abilities to slap them hard in the face.
Andrew guided her along, "Exactly. The most effective way to fight back against enemies isn't to burn yourself out, but to rationally find ways to crack their plan and strike back.
Do you trust me? If you do, why don't you tell me about your research process and how tasks were divided among everyone.
Maybe an outside perspective can pick up some useful clues."
As he said this, his voice was so gentle it was almost tender, and to Olivia's ears, it felt like a spring breeze.
Her anxious mood was instantly smoothed over as if by a warm hand.
That uncomfortable feeling also faded somewhat.
She nodded, "Of course I trust you."
Then, after thinking it over, she quickly explained her investigation.
Andrew thought for a few seconds. "From what you're saying, everything happened without warning. Looks like the other side is more careful than we thought.
But your lab's core data has independent system protection. It's impossible to transfer it without leaving traces!
Since they're stealing, they probably wouldn't dare transfer it multiple times, because that's easy to detect.
So the data was probably moved all at once, which means... the transfer traces were deleted, but they can be recovered."
Olivia immediately said, "I tried to recover them. I couldn't find anything."
Andrew smiled lightly. "Really? Then doesn't that give us a clue? There's a computer expert in your medical research team."
Olivia froze.
She really hadn't thought about it from that angle.
But she had to admit, Andrew had a point.
Only someone with computer skills at a certain level could keep her from tracking them down.
But... from her interactions during this time, she hadn't noticed anyone with exceptionally high computer skills.
Andrew seemed to guess her thoughts and spoke slowly, "Spies are usually good at hiding themselves. They wouldn't let you notice anything unusual in daily life... Maybe you can try other methods to break through this situation.
This crisis might be a test for you. I think with your intelligence, you'll definitely figure out a way to root out whoever's behind this."
He didn't give her more hints, but his words were full of confidence in her.
How could someone who developed a top-tier specialized drug and a medical system that countless people were fighting to invest in be defeated by something like this?
She was just momentarily shocked and hadn't reacted yet!
Olivia caught on, and warmth flowed through her heart.
She completely stopped feeling anxious, her thoughts cleared up a lot, and she became calm.
That's right!
She absolutely couldn't let herself be defeated like this.
Especially when her opponents were Michael and Sophia!
They stole her work, and she'd make them pay it back with interest!
Olivia rallied her spirits and said, "I know what to do now. Thank you, Mr. Hamilton. You always manage to help me when I need it most."
She said this sincerely and earnestly.
But she didn't realize it carried a somewhat ambiguous tone that could be misunderstood.
Andrew didn't think much of it, but his eyes did deepen a bit as he said, "The jade pendant I gave you last time, you're not wearing it? Next time you're feeling down, you can hold it. It can help calm your mind."
Olivia felt a bit embarrassed. "I have it with me, but not on me. I'll put it on now..."
Some rustling sounds came from her end, probably her looking for the jade pendant.
Andrew smiled and waited patiently.
A few seconds later, Olivia had it on and said, "I'll give you a gift in return, after the New Year when you come back to Emerald City."
Andrew smiled softly. "Alright, I'll look forward to it."
After saying this, he glanced at the time. It was about right, so he said to Olivia, "Since you're okay, I'll leave it here. I need to head to the airport."
Olivia's heart stirred. "You're going back to Harmony City tonight?"
The man's voice was warm and deep. "Yeah, flight's in an hour."
"Then you should go. Be safe on the road. I'll wait for you to come back."
Olivia said it hastily.
After the words left her mouth, she realized the last sentence seemed... a bit too intimate???
She felt awkward and wanted to correct herself, but heard the man respond, "Okay."
After hanging up, that brief response still echoed in her ears.
Did this count as... making plans to meet next time?
After Andrew's guidance, Olivia's mindset completely improved, and she rallied her spirits again.
She first called Daniel and told him, "Help me check who in our medical research team is good with computers and has hidden their real abilities."
"You figured it out?"
Daniel perked up immediately and asked.
Olivia nodded and relayed Andrew's analysis. "The other side hid their abilities. Even I couldn't root them out. Look into it, maybe you can find them.
Also, you can get the team at Nexora Tech to help track this down. Their skills are on par with mine, so they might make a breakthrough too."