Seeing this, Darcy smiled slightly and gestured for Cade to take over the presentation. Bex, engrossed in his phone conversation with Zora, didn't even notice the speaker had changed. As Darcy sat down, a glance at his phone screen sent a jolt of shock through her. She hadn't realized Zora was his schoolmate. They seemed to be discussing project implementation plans for after they won the bid. Darcy's heart sank. In business, capability counted—but connections were an entirely different beast. Having both was like a double buff, almost guaranteeing success. After a moment's thought, a plan formed in her mind.She discreetly sent a text under the table, her hand clenched tightly. She wasn't sure if the recipient would get the message in time, or if he would even come. After all, Bex was his employee, and she was an outsider. While she was still pondering, the heavy glass door of the conference room was pushed open from the outside. Eamon walked in with a laugh. "Well now, you've already started! Hope I'm not too late to join?" Hearing his boss' voice, Bex shot up from his chair as if sprung from a trap. "Mr. Steele! What brings you here?" His face showed clear panic. Eamon came over and patted his shoulder. "Just finished a long meeting. Thought I'd listen in here to relax and learn about the latest industry developments." He sat down and asked Darcy familiarly, "Darcy, where are you in the presentation?"Darcy took the remote back, signaling for Cade to sit. "Mr. Steele, your timing is perfect. We're just getting to the core of it." It was true. The beginning had been all about the company, the industry, and high-level product features. The next part was the real substance. "Good, then please continue." With Eamon's encouragement, Darcy's calm, confident voice filled the room again. Bex, meanwhile, was seething internally. This Darcy, thinking she can take a shortcut just because she knows the CEO. Pfft! Stratagem Tech might be a Blackwood subsidiary, but its R&D is weak and its products are mediocre. How can they possibly compete with an industry unicorn like SummitCore? Even with Mr. Steele here, I'd bet my bottom dollar that Zora's proposal is a hundred times better than hers! With the boss present, he didn't dare look at his phone anymore. Coupled with his desire to find fault, he started listening intently. But the more he listened, the more uneasy he felt. Why does Stratagem's product align so perfectly with our tender requirements? It's almost like it was custom-built for us! Every feature matched their needs exactly. Even more alarming, beyond these core functions, the product didn't have a lot of unnecessary bloat, which meant its price was actually lower than the competitors'. Bex swallowed hard. Soon, the presentation ended. Darcy's gaze moved from the screen to the people at the table. "Mr. Steele, Mr. Stone, do you have any questions based on what you've seen?" The appreciation in Eamon's eyes was unmistakable. He nodded at Darcy. "A very thoughtful proposal."The features addressed almost every key pain point Easemark was currently facing. It was clear this product had been developed specifically for them, like a bespoke suit in the world of luxury goods. It's only been two months, and her skills have advanced yet again. He was genuinely impressed. He also couldn't understand how the CEO of SummitCore could let such a versatile talent leave. If she were his, he'd treat her like a queen and give her anything she wanted. But that was between her and SummitCore; it was none of his business. She had also asked him privately to keep her move confidential, as she hadn't formally left SummitCore yet. He turned to Bex. "Bex, what are your thoughts?" Bex had been squirming in his seat, his mind racing to find something, anything, wrong with the product.But he couldn't think of a single flaw! Suddenly, he thought of a question. He cleared his throat and looked down his nose at Darcy. "Can you guarantee your delivery timeline? I've heard your delivery team has fewer than twenty people." Darcy smiled faintly. "Absolutely. Once the contract is signed, we will immediately begin hiring." Bex had expected this answer. A sarcastic smile touched his lips. "Will hiring after signing the contract be fast enough? New hires take a long time to get up to speed." "Not necessarily. We have comprehensive internal training documentation. I will personally oversee the project to ensure every phase is delivered on time." It was a perfect answer. Bex was stumped. Think, you idiot! What other weaknesses are there? Suddenly, Eamon spoke up, "Alright, it's getting late. Let's call it a day for now."He then asked his assistant to see Darcy and Cade out. Once the conference room door closed, Eamon looked at Bex. He picked up the cup from the table, took a sip of coffee, and then fixed Bex with a penetrating gaze. "So, Bex. What did you really think of Stratagem Tech's proposal?"