Seemingly anticipating the grim situation Evelyn was about to face, those people had already begun to revel in schadenfreude.
“Understood,” Evelyn nodded perfunctorily. After Gavin left, she followed up.
“Do you think the team leader will be expelled?” Harper watched Evelyn’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with worry.
Ryan analyzed the situation and shook his head, “The concentration of the sulfuric acid was very low, and the damage to Spencer was not as severe as imagined. At most, it’s a warning.”
The other two nodded in agreement.
Harper still wasn’t reassured and whispered, “Let’s go up and check, just at the office door.”
At this moment, inside the office.
Gavin spoke in a low, submissive tone, “Boss, it’s only my second day back to work, can’t you… tone it down a bit?”
Evelyn replied, “He’s not dead.”
Gavin sighed inwardly, thinking that not being dead was the biggest concession?
Contemplating this question, he sat on the desk, “I know Spencer is scum, but dealing with scum takes time. What you need to do now is to tone down a bit, establish your position in the institute.”
Evelyn, confident, stated, “It’s already established.”
This implied that she had no intention of toning down.
Gavin was utterly exasperated. He rubbed his forehead, leaned down, and just as he failed to steady himself, he knelt down.
Evelyn attempted to assist him, but the office door abruptly swung open.
Harper and her group of four crashed to the floor.
In their haste to enter, they had neglected to lock the door. Harper and the others, who had intended to eavesdrop, collided with the door due to their excessive weight and tumbled into the room.
Harper, looking embarrassed, explained in a hushed voice, “Sorry, we didn’t mean to eavesdrop. We were just afraid Mr. Gavin would punish…!”
She couldn’t finish the sentence. Harper simply widened her eyes in shock, staring at the man kneeling under Evelyn’s feet.
The other three, once they had picked themselves up, were equally petrified.
Was this a new way of scolding someone?
“We… we didn’t see anything. We’ll leave now.” Harper finally found her voice and, with that, she turned around, dragging Kester and the others away from the office quickly.
Once they turned the corner, the four of them leaned against the wall, panting.
Harper wondered, “Did I see it correctly just now? Mr. Gavin kneeling for the team leader…”
“Indeed.” Joshua, positioned on the right, had a clearer view without Evelyn blocking him.
Kester added, “So, who exactly is this Evelyn?”
“I dare not guess.” Harper whispered, “In any case, it has nothing to do with us. I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”
The four exchanged glances and reached a consensus.
As for Evelyn’s punishment, no one was worried anymore.
In that posture, could Gavin still impose any punishment?
On the other side, watching the office door close again, Gavin’s state of mind had already crumbled.
“Damn it, my reputation!”
“Evelyn, did you see the way they looked at me just now? They were scornful, right?”
Gavin, in despair, rubbed his temples. “What do we do now? Is there a chance to salvage this?”
“There’s probably none,” Evelyn said emotionlessly. “Do you have anything else to say? If not, I’m leaving.”
“You…” Gavin was about to say something, but Evelyn turned away without sparing him a glance.
Gavin: …
Evelyn sent the batch of No. 05 reagents, “I’ve checked, it’s enough for ten days of experiments. If any of you loses one again, I’ll…”
She narrowed her eyes, and the team immediately thought of Spencer’s gruesome appearance after the encounter with Evelyn. They nodded frantically.
“Team leader, we promise to complete the task.”
Satisfied, Evelyn nodded and picked up her bag, ready to go back to the villa. Just as she reached the door, she overheard Harper gossiping inside.
“Going back already? Is she going back to see Mr. Gavin kneel?”
Evelyn: …
Back at the villa, Ellis and Henry hadn’t returned yet. Evelyn lay on the sofa, flipping through short videos.
When Henry came back, Evelyn excitedly sat up from the sofa.
“This! Look at this…”
“What are you watching?” Henry leaned over.
Evelyn showed him the phone screen, “Isn’t this amazing? I…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Henry’s face darken.
Evelyn: … Couldn’t she watch these things? Why was he getting angry?
“If you don’t like it, I’ll choose something else next time,” Evelyn quickly turned the phone screen, and her words came to an abrupt end.
“No, I wasn’t looking at that. You misunderstood,” She quickly swiped away the picture of a handsome guy and replaced it with a huge steak.
“I just saw this. A classmate’s boyfriend got a bonus and took her out for an extra-large steak. Isn’t that cool?”
Henry frowned, “Is there a difference from buying it with regular money?”
“Of course, this is an additional bonus. Meat bought with a bonus tastes better, sugar is sweeter, everything bought is more delicious. That kind of joy, you wouldn’t understand.”
She glanced at Henry with a touch of resentment, murmuring, “Being with you, I probably won’t have this opportunity in my life.” After all, who in this world could give Henry a bonus?
For a moment, Henry couldn’t refute Evelyn’s words…
Not long after, Evelyn fell asleep on Henry’s lap.
Henry looked at her sleeping face, hesitated for a moment, and then picked up his phone.
When David received the call, he was somewhat surprised, “Boss, how did you know I needed to talk to you?”
Henry: “Where’s my bonus?”
David: “!”
“Boss… Boss, what are you talking about? The whole group belongs to you, and there are only one or two people who can give you a bonus!”
Henry frowned and asked, “Who?”
David was stunned, realizing after a moment that Henry was referring to the last sentence he said.
David weakly replied, “Probably only Old Master.”
“Hmm,” Henry responded.
David was afraid that Henry would hang up, so he quickly added, “Boss, Old Master called earlier and mentioned that he has a piece of land in the neighboring city that he might sell soon. He hopes you can follow up on it when you have time.”
“Okay,” Henry agreed readily. Then he changed the topic, “Tell him to give me a bonus.”
David: …
“I’ll ask Old Master for you?” David inquired cautiously, “About the amount of the bonus…”
“Five million.”
David: “Okay, I’ll do my best…”
“Not do your best.” Henry gently stroked Evelyn’s hair, “If he doesn’t agree, I won’t go.”
“Um, okay.” David hurriedly responded. Before he could say anything else, Henry had already hung up the phone.
David called Old Mr. Wilson, and as soon as he conveyed Henry’s request, a series of furious curses came from the other end.
Old Mr. Wilson was so angry that he directly threw his phone on the ground…
The Wilson family mansion.
Old Mr. Wilson tapped the floor with his cane, making a dull sound.
“Indeed, he’s gotten too arrogant. I asked him to keep an eye on the land sale, and he actually asked me for a bonus, five million at that. Is he crazy?”
Old Mrs. Wilson listened to his complaints, “What’s wrong with Henry asking you for five million? Don’t you have it?”
“As a CEO, he’s asking me for money??”
“Look at how stingy you are. You’re retired as the chairman. What’s wrong with five million? Maybe Henry really needs it urgently?”
Old Mrs. Wilson thought for a moment, “Why not call him and ask? What if there’s really an urgent matter?”
“What else could it be? That woman must be up to some tricks, trying to swindle money from Henry.”
Old Mr. Wilson angrily picked up the phone from the floor, “I’ll make the call, let me handle it.”
Henry had just laid Evelyn on the bed when his phone started ringing. He immediately silenced it and walked towards the balcony.
Old Mr. Wilson waited for a long time before the call connected. Before he could speak, a cold voice came through, “You woke her up.”
Old Mr. Wilson: “!!!” He turned to his wife with annoyance, “Did you hear that? What is this ungrateful child saying?”
“I heard. Evelyn is sleeping. You could’ve spoken more quietly,” Old Mrs. Wilson said.
Old Mr. Wilson, irritated, exclaimed, “Why do you need five million?”
“Why are you talking like that?” Old Mrs. Wilson pushed him away and took the phone, “Henry, did you encounter any difficulties?”
“No,” Henry was silent for a moment, “This is because things purchased with a bonus are better.”
Old Mr. Wilson’s face darkened. “Listen to this, is this normal speech?”
“What do you understand? Get lost.”
“Henry, Grandma will give you that. Is five million enough? Grandma will have Grandpa give you ten million.”
“Good.”
Old Mr. Wilson: “…”
At half-past ten, Evelyn woke up drowsily, seeing a syringe on the bedside table, and all drowsiness disappeared.
“Are… are you seeking revenge?”