The pre-sales manager at Stratagem Tech was Cade Holt. He was young, a year younger than Darcy, with a bright, cheerful demeanor. He knocked and entered. Darcy stood up to pour him a glass of water. Jethro had already briefed him about Darcy's one-month trial, so Cade wasn't overly surprised to see her. They quickly reached a preliminary consensus on bidding for the Easemark Ventures project. Before the formal bid, they needed to meet with the client for a system demo to gauge mutual interest—a step often called pre-sales or Proof of Concept. Darcy asked Cade to prepare the pre-sales materials, planning to visit Easemark Ventures in three days. After wrapping up business, Cade took a sip of water.He looked curious, seemingly wanting to ask something but hesitating. Darcy smiled back at him. "Just ask. Don't strain yourself." Called out, Cade flushed with embarrassment. He scratched his head and asked bluntly, "Ms. Gale, you were at SummitCore. Aren't you worried about making Mr. Vance angry by joining a direct competitor?" He'd heard that Darcy was a veteran at SummitCore, there since the very beginning. Rumors said their relationship was... special. Darcy looked down with a faint smile. Typical for someone in sales. Always tuned into the gossip. "He won't be angry. I'm just a regular salesperson. SummitCore will run fine without me," she said, her voice flat. Besides, with Zora there, why would Zane be angry? He probably wanted her gone so he could rekindle things with his old flame. "Oh, I see." Cade scratched his head again. Maybe the intel was wrong? Why would a fiancée join her fiancé's competitor? Yeah, must just be a rumor. ... In the conference room at SummitCore Tech's top floor, after presenting the details on Easemark Ventures, Zora smiled gracefully at her colleagues. She then turned to Zane at the head of the table. "Mr. Vance, we must win the bid for the Easemark project. It's my first project here, and I hope I have your full support." Zane nodded. "Of course. I consider this project crucial. We've already secured the largest financial firm in the northern market. Winning Easemark would mean hitting this year's targets ahead of schedule. After that, we can focus our efforts on the IPO." SummitCore had always planned to go public. Their revenue and profits were insufficient a couple of years ago, but thanks to the efforts of Darcy's team, the company had landed several major projects, bringing in substantial income and profits.With a final push, an IPO next year was achievable. Hearing Zane's words, Zora smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Vance." She was naturally beautiful, with an intellectual air that few women possessed. Her smile was utterly disarming. Zane's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he looked away. He cleared his throat lightly into his hand, then scanned the room. "For the Easemark project, everyone is to fully support Dr. Moss," he commanded coolly. The colleagues from R&D and Sales exchanged glances. No one spoke. Zane frowned. "What is this? If anyone has objections, voice them now!" He then shot a glare at Rex on his left. Rex's heart sank. Oh no! He's blaming me for not handling this. This is unfair! I talked to both departments privately. I told them not to disrespect Dr. Moss. Why are they flipping sidesnow? Then again, can I blame them? A new leader is parachuted in out of the blue, takes over a project Ms. Galewas handling...who would feel good about that? For a moment, the conference room was dead silent. Everyone kept their heads down. Suddenly, someone stood up. "Mr. Vance, Ms. Gale has been working on the Easemark project for a long time. She bid on it three years ago during their first public tender. We didn't win then. But for the past three years, she's maintained regular contact with their upper management. She had her sights set on this new tender." The speaker was Faye Shaw, Darcy's assistant. Faye was a fresh graduate hired by Darcy herself and personally mentored by her. Everyone in the company knew they were close. There was a time when even her supposed best friend, Kaia, had complained sourly behind her back that Darcy had found a new friend and forgotten the old one.No one was surprised that Faye was speaking up for Darcy now. Zane's face darkened. He gave Faye a dismissive look. "Regardless of who maintained the client, it's a company client. Since Darcy previously handled Easemark, as her assistant, you will compile and summarize all information from the last three years and send it to Dr. Moss." Faye was stunned, her face turning pale. She bit her lip. "Ms. Gale hasn't resigned. Why isn't the Easemark project being assigned to her?" Others had wanted to ask the same thing but lacked the courage. Hearing Faye voice it, they looked at her with admiration. "Faye? If I'm not mistaken, your name is Faye, right?" Zora gave her a calm smile. "You've misunderstood. Mr. Vance assigned the project to me not to steal Ms. Gale's credit. We all see and remember her contributions to the company. No one will forget what she's done. It's just that she's been working tirelessly for years and deserves a break. I'll handle the project during her one-month leave. Once she returns, it will be handed back to her." Faye and the other colleagues were taken aback. Was that all? Faye pouted. "Fine." She sat down reluctantly. Zane's expression was still grim. He was about to reprimand her further when Zora gave him a gentle, reassuring blink. The anger in his chest subsided considerably. After a moment of tight-lipped silence, he said, "Darcy is just a Director. I am the CEO of this company. I have the authority to make assignments." When Darcy first joined, she was Zane's assistant. Later, she moved to R&D as an engineer. Two years ago, she transferred to Sales as a Sales Director. Although her title was "Director," everyone understood she was the de facto second-in-command, right below Zane, and the presumed future VP.Last month, rumors suggested she'd be promoted to VP upon returning from her business trip. No one expected Zora would get the position. Hearing Zane's sharp words, everyone felt uneasy. What did he mean by that? A falling out with Darcy? She's a founding employee. Everyone's seen how hard she's worked all these years. Is he sidelining her now? Faye was furious, fuming and wanting to fight for Darcy. Other colleagues quickly pulled her away. Outside the conference room, a senior colleague tried to calm her. "We know you're close to Ms. Gale, but now isn't the time to speak up for her. Can't you see? Mr. Vance has issues with her right now." Faye muttered under her breath, "What kind of bastard finds issues with someone who makes him money?!"The others panicked, quickly covering her mouth. "You can't say things like that!" Back at her desk, Faye grew angrier the more she thought about it. She couldn't help but send a message to Darcy. Darcy, however, advised her, "Don't be impulsive. It's not worth getting upset over something like this. Keep an eye on the new VP. If she seems decent, you might consider showing your loyalty." Faye was stunned. What did that mean? Is Ms. Galeleaving? The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. ... Inside the conference room, only Zane and Zora remained. "You were too harsh earlier," Zora chided gently. "Darcy is a founding member who contributed so much. Talking like that will disillusion the old guards." Now calmer, Zane also felt his tone had been too severe. But—He looked at Zora. "If I hadn't been firm, the people under you might not obey you easily." Zora burst out laughing. She looked lovely when she laughed, like a sunflower in full bloom. "Zane, I think you need a refresher in management. Young people nowadays aren't easily cowed by a few harsh words. Don't worry, I'll win them over with my capabilities." It was true. Zora was a PhD graduate from abroad. She was different from Darcy, who only had a bachelor's degree. I was overthinking it.