The R&D plan was 80% complete. She could show him the draft version. Upstairs on the top floor, Darcy greeted Rowan, who stood up. "Go right in. Mr. Blackwood is expecting you." She pushed the door open. Indeed, Jethro was sitting on the sofa, dressed in a sleek black suit, looking every bit the refined and elegant executive. It felt as if he was waiting just for her. "Mr. Blackwood," Darcy said as she entered, giving a slight nod. Jethro smiled. Suddenly, a bouquet of flowers was presented to her. Darcy was taken aback. What's this? Jethro said, "To congratulate you on your arbitration victory." A smile touched Darcy's lips. "Thank you."She hadn't expected her boss to be so ceremonious. What a dream boss! "The exam is getting closer, isn't it?" Jethro asked gently. Darcy nodded. "Yes, less than ten days now." "For the next ten days, you can focus entirely on studying." Darcy stared at him in astonishment. Had she heard correctly? She knew he was a great boss, but this level of consideration was beyond her imagination. Jethro smiled, "You heard right. Go home and focus on your review. I'll personally oversee things here." "I can't possibly do that," Darcy said. She was a person of integrity at heart. Her boss was already too good to her; she couldn't take advantage. "The company is paying me. I should be working," she insisted. Jethro had expected this. He leaned back against the sofa, adopting a relaxed posture. He raised an eyebrow. "If not paying you makes you feel better, I can inform HR to count these days as personal leave." That was a different matter. She could consider that. But Darcy couldn't help feeling amused and touched. Other bosses worried about employees studying on the side and neglecting work. Why was hers the complete opposite? She couldn't resist asking. "Because," Jethro said, thinking quickly on his feet, "I don't want to disappoint my uncle. You know how much he wants you as his graduate student." Ah, right. That made sense. Thinking of Alistair, Darcy smiled, "I'd very much like to be his student too.""So, listen to me. Go home for the final ten days and give the exam your all," Jethro urged again, the offer incredibly tempting. Darcy had to admit she was tempted. After a moment's thought, she nodded. "Alright. Then I'll humbly accept. Thank you, Mr. Blackwood." "Oh, and the R&D plan I mentioned last time, I've completed about 80%. Would you like to see it now?" Jethro said, "Yes, please walk me through it." Darcy opened the proposal and spread it out on the coffee table. Jethro leaned in from the opposite sofa. Unfortunately, their heads bumped together. "Are you alright?" Jethro instinctively reached out to gently rub the spot on her head. Both of them froze for a second. Darcy silently shifted away. "I'm fine. My apologies, I was too abrupt."Jethro's ears turned slightly pink. He cleared his throat softly. "Let's begin." Half an hour later, Jethro nodded, his eyes holding a hint of admiration. "Excellent. The new product is more advanced than I imagined. I think we can test it first using Blackwood Group's own business operations. Once it's mature, we can launch it commercially." "That's fantastic," Darcy said, genuinely pleased. Often, new products stalled at the theoretical or testing phase due to a lack of real transaction data. But Jethro was willing to use the Blackwood Group's actual business to "feed" the new product. This truly surprised her. Her boss was simply the best! Jethro smiled, "Well, you're willing to let the company use your patent royalty-free. The least I can do as the boss is show some reciprocity." Speaking of the patent, Jethro rested his chin on his hand, curious. "The 'Automated Yield Curve Model'... I'm sure many companies in the market would be very interested. If you were willing to sell it, you could probably achieve financial freedom." He didn't understand why Darcy hadn't put a price tag on it and sold it publicly. Darcy replied, "I don't mind telling you, Mr. Blackwood. Everyone likes money, and I'm no exception. But money alone isn't enough to get you through life. I love my work. I truly enjoy developing new products that help clients solve problems. I love seeing the domestic finance industry thrive because of products I helped create." As she spoke, a soft, sincere smile lit up her face. Her tone was earnest, almost naive. She was an idealist. Jethro's heart felt as if a feather had lightly brushed against it—a strange, tingling sensation. He thought, if anyone else had said this to him, he'd probably have been skeptical. But hearing it from Darcy, it felt utterly genuine. Was this... favoritism?Jethro rubbed his nose, lowering his gaze with a soft, self-deprecating laugh. ... Darcy carried the flowers downstairs and ran into Cindy. "Wow, those are beautiful! From an admirer?" Cindy winked at her, though a flicker of disappointment rose in her heart. Looks like my brother really missed his chance. Darcy smiled, "No, they're from Mr. Blackwood. To celebrate the arbitration win."