As for whether Darcy was hurt, he never spared a thought. He only cared about himself. He had never considered Darcy. Darcy deleted the screenshot. She didn't care at all. After chatting a bit more with Cindy, she refocused on her studies. ... The rumors Cade had spread quickly took effect. While replying to emails, her office door was knocked on. "Ms. Gale, do you have a moment?" Wade walked in with a smile. Darcy pretended not to know. She quickly stood up to greet him. "Of course. What's up?" "Ms. Gale, landing a project as big as Easemark within a month... that's incredible. My team and I are in awe! We've heard you can handle business negotiations, product development, and even write excellent code. Working under a leader like you is an honor." Quite a lot of praise, especially coming from an engineer. But Darcy knew these were just pleasantries. He wasn't here to flatter her. Darcy stood and poured him a cup of coffee. "Thank you, Mr. Mason. I assume there's something else you wanted to discuss?" Wade rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat embarrassed. "About borrowing personnel last time... I thought about it again. I was mistaken." "Oh?" Darcy raised an eyebrow, a slight smile on her lips. She gestured for him to sit, saying there was no hurry. "Here's the thing. I rechecked the project schedules recently. Three old projects are finishing up. They could be done by the end of the month. Then we'll have spare personnel available. Here's a specific list."Wade handed her the list. Darcy skimmed it. It was indeed the team from those three old projects. She set the list down calmly. "Do you think they'd be willing to join the Easemark project? If not, forcing them wouldn't be good." "They're willing! Totally Willing!" Wade assured her repeatedly. "They're all on board. We all serve the company anyway—why wouldn't they be?" A faint smile touched Darcy's lips. Wade knew when to advance and when to retreat. But the fact that he'd swallow his pride for his team's sake showed he was decent, someone who could be relied on. Having assessed him, Darcy nodded. "Alright. Then I'll need you to arrange for them to familiarize themselves with the new project in the next couple of days. They'll officially join after the old projects conclude."Wade bowed and left, closing the door. Afterward, Darcy continued to wait. One down, one to go—Jax. But he didn't show up. In the meantime, Cade knocked, asking if he should intensify the rumors, make the situation sound more dire. Darcy shook her head. No need. Since Wade had come so quickly, everyone who needed to know already did. Those who hadn't come weren't mentally prepared yet. No hurry. Let them struggle a couple more days. Darcy guessed right. Jax and his team were indeed struggling. Taking advantage of overtime, the R&D team had a team dinner. With the private room door closed, the sub-lead under Jax, Leo Lopez, sighed.He looked at Jax. "Boss, you really won't go talk to Ms. Gale? This morning, I saw Wade leaving her office smiling. He must have pledged his allegiance. "If Wade's people join the Easemark project, will there be any spots left for us? And when the old projects really do end, if we get disbanded... what then?" It wasn't just Leo. Others also looked worried. Stratagem Tech might not be famous or large, but it was backed by the powerful, wealthy Blackwood Group. The salary and benefits were significantly higher than the industry average. They didn't want to lose such a good company. The anxious stares made Jax uneasy. Darcy sure knew how to stir things up. Her winning the Easemark project had already shocked him. The inside information he'd heard pointed elsewhere. He'd even boasted to his team about waiting for Darcy to fail. Now, the one looking foolish was him. It was infuriating! On top of that, she had the nerve to ask him for people. Why would he give them? Why should he? He'd refused outright. But yesterday, Cade had privately told them the three old projects wouldn't be renewed, and consequently, they wouldn't need so many R&D staff. If they were willing, they could transfer to the Easemark project. Jax was silent for a moment, then reassured everyone. "Cade is probably bluffing. Don't worry. Darcy wouldn't dare fire us randomly." Someone at the table scoffed inwardly. Easy for you to say. Even if there are cuts, you won't be cut. It's we little guys who'll get axed. Leo was bolder. He frowned and asked, "Why wouldn't she dare? Didn't you say she's Mr. Blackwood's woman? With Mr. Blackwood protecting her, there's nothing she wouldn't dare do."Jax was speechless. He hadn't expected his own casual remark to come back to haunt him. He coughed lightly. "I said she wouldn't dare. That's final. Let's eat. Finish up and get back to work."