LOGINAfter taking a deep breath, I stood up from my seat. Ignoring the security guards’ attempts to stop me, I resolutely stepped onto the stage.Under the complex gazes of Vincent and Alaina, I walked over to the robot and slowly began to speak.“Hello everyone. I’m Joel Lakely, former Principal Engineer of Astra Technologies, and I’m the original designer of Ray.“Yes, my team and I gave it the name Ray, not the A1 bionic robot. “Our plan was for Ray to learn everything a human body could do. This includes tidying up the house, fixing appliances, even driving a car. The truth was, most of that was already working. “However, during the final phase of testing, a major issue emerged. Its abilities, like communication, housekeeping, and driving, suddenly went haywire. Even basic walking and standing were affected.“Once I confirmed the issue was AI-related, I flew straight to DeepSpace Technologies to bring in its AI as an emergency fix. They were very cooperative and provided me wi
The launch event was held at the city’s convention center.On the day of the event, global media, tech peers, and a large number of target users flocked to the venue.Two hours before the event began, the venue was already packed to capacity.Backstage, Vincent asked Alaina, “Is everything good to go? Are the prototypes fully tested?”She replied confidently, “Don’t you worry, Mr. White. There will be no problems. After tonight, Astra Technologies will become the world’s most powerful tech company.”In reality, Alaina had no understanding of proper testing. She had only created the most basic test cases and performed the most fundamental functional checks.As 8 p.m. drew nearer, Vincent grew increasingly excited.It had been a full six months since he had returned from abroad.He had arranged for Alaina to gather evidence to sabotage me and force me out of the company. His company’s greatest project was about to launch.He wanted to prove to Henry and to everyone that he was a
Vincent trembled with rage. He pointed and shouted at me, “Joel, you snake! How dare you poach my employees?!”Watching his furious and flustered appearance on the live stream, I grew even more composed.“Good leaders keep their people. Bad leaders lose them. Mr. White, perhaps the problem isn’t me; it’s you.”“What’s the problem with me firing you after you break the rules and mess up? That is perfectly reasonable and lawful.”Even at that moment, he still insisted that I was the one at fault.“Then, let me ask you one more time, Mr. White. What exactly did I do wrong?”His face turned red with anger, but he had not completely lost his composure. He discreetly pinched Alaina, making her burst into hysterical sobs. “Joel, what did I ever do to you? Why did you try to force yourself on me?“Do you have any idea what I’ve been through? For the last two weeks, I have had nightmares every single night. My therapist told me I have severe anxiety and depression. I don’t want to li
There were already nearly ten thousand viewers in the live stream, and every single comment condemned me.Alaina appeared on camera as she put on a pitiful and helpless act. She sobbed and accused me, “I’m a Ph.D. graduate in robotics engineering from an Ivy League university. I came back because I wanted to help my home country grow its robotics industry. “Little did I expect that Joel would only let me work as an intern.“His skills are at least a decade behind what’s out there globally. Yet he’s been hoarding the Principal Engineer title and taking credit for everything his team actually built.“On the day Mr. White called him out, he completely lost it. He actually tried to… to force himself on me...”At that, Alaina began wiping away her tears.The viewers condemned me even more. [I absolutely hate bosses who steal credit from their team!][Not only is he not skilled, but he also has a bad character, too! Did he actually try to assault someone in the office? That’s dis
Zac, Mandy, and my other former subordinates were already waiting outside for me.“Joel, how did it go? Is Vincent bringing you back to take charge?”I told them the truth. “He wants me gone.”They all sighed. Jonathan, in particular, was practically clinging to my arm. “Joel, have you found your next job yet? Promise me you’ll take me with you when you land it!”I did not know whether to laugh or cry.I set up a group chat with my closer colleagues and told them to stay in touch.They dragged me into another round of venting, and they only let me go when I received a call from my mother.She told me the blind date my aunt had set up was finally available and that I should go meet the girl right away.When I saw the address my mother sent, I realized it was a coffee shop near Astra Technologies.She gave me one last piece of advice before hanging up. “For a first date, bring her something small. I hear she’s actually in the same field as you.”I felt a little embarrassed.
On the other end of the line, Vincent was stunned for a moment.He then raised his voice and said, “Joel, you got where you are today because Astra Technologies built you up. Now, the company is in a bind. Don’t you think you owe us something?“Owe you?” I laughed.“I only stayed for Mr. Henry White. Back in the day, he took a chance on me. Or else, I’d have left years ago. Who do you think you are to give me a hard time?“Besides, you’re the one who fired me. You said you never wanted to see my face again. Now that you’ve run into muddy waters, you suddenly remember me? Where was this energy when you needed a scapegoat?“While we’re at it, someone out there has been trashing my name all over the industry, trying to blacklist me. Mr. White, you really went for the jugular, didn’t you?”“You...!”He was left speechless for a long time. Finally, he managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth. “So what do you want?”“Clear my name. Issue a public apology to me. Don’







