Back then, no such thing as a fixed getting off time —staying up all night was the norm.
To conquer the first crucial project, I slept on a cot for two whole months and I lived on coffee like water and instant noodles.
Ultimately, we came up with a disruptive solution before our competitors.
It was thanks to that project that the company truly earned its first pot of gold, survived and then grew bigger.
Niall Andrew, Joana's father, would often pat me on the shoulder and say to everyone, "Lucius is a hero to our company! Without him, we wouldn’t have achieved what we have today!"
His eyes held admiration, gratitude and a strong sense of reliance.
Although it was tough and tiring back then, my heart was warm and I felt that all the hard work was meaningful. This company was like a child we nurtured together.
"Lucius ...." At that moment, a cautious voice interrupted my reminiscence.
Mark stood at the door, his face showing worry and a hint of indignation. He didn't come in immediately, as if waiting for my permission.
"Come in."
I continued packing up, without looking up.
He tiptoed in, glanced around the somewhat empty office and sighed. "I really didn't expect ... Ms. Andrew would make such a decision."
"It's ridiculous to send you to the Logistics Department to clean the toilet!"
I gave no response, waiting for him to continue.
Seeing me giving no response, he leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Lucius, you're the one in charge of the project, that's an undeniable fact!"
"Even if you didn't achieve great success, you still put in a lot of hard work!"
"Ms. Andrew's actions ... are a bit like crossing the line." He spoke with genuine sincerity, as if he were truly indignant on my behalf.
Looking at his young yet worldly-wise face, I recalled how he looked when he first joined the company.
Three months ago, Mark joined in the company as an intern, with a PhD from overseas and experience at a major company. He greeted and smiled brightly to everyone he met, his humility bordering on obsequiousness.
He, then, volunteered to join the then-most crucial and demanding intelligent robot project team. He spoke earnestly, only asking for a learning opportunity.
Joana agreed without hesitation, without even consulting me.
Once in the project, he extremely "cleverly" took on all the miscellaneous tasks that didn't involve core code.
His most outstanding skills were making PowerPoint presentations and organizing data documents.
It was not that he came from a large company, his PowerPoint presentations were indeed beautiful, with cool animations, exquisite layouts and a strong visual impact.
He did "work overtime," often sitting at his desk late into the night, typing furiously on his keyboard, processing seemingly complex data documents, or repeatedly refining reports.
That was how his reputation for dedication spread.
"Lucius, don't be too discouraged." The intern's voice rang out again.
"The Logistics Department may not sound prestigious, but at least it's a position."
"If you need any help over there in the future, you can tell me and I will definitely take it seriously."
I stopped packing up and finally looked up at him with a calm gaze. "Are you done?"
He paused, seemingly surprised by my reaction and looked somewhat embarrassed.
"Leave now," I said calmly, "Mr. Rousseau, I need to continue packing up. Don't delay my reporting to the Logistics Department."
His lips twitched slightly, his carefully disguised mask almost crumbling, a flash of offended anger crossing his eyes. But he quickly forced a helpless yet tolerant smile. "I know you're in a bad mood, Lucius, then I'll go now, take care."
