Chapter 3

Looking at his utterly fake face, I felt my stomach churn.

“Richard, do you really think low-level employees are all idiots?”

“$100,000 for a bidding system capable of generating tens of millions in profit?”

“Are you trying to get rid of me with pocket change?”

Megan loudly backed him up from the side. “You still think $100,000 isn’t enough? Don’t push your luck!”

“How many years would it take you to save $100,000 in cash working outside?”

“Learn to be grateful!”

I pointed at the layoff notice soaked with coffee.

“Be grateful?”

“My base salary hasn’t increased by a single cent in three years! The performance bonuses you promised are always delayed!”

“At last year’s company banquet, the executives received Porsches and Rolex watches.”

“I received two cases of cheap milk that were about to expire!”

“And you call that being grateful?”

Richard finally dropped all pretense.

He slammed his cigar onto the floor and pointed at me as he cursed.

“So what!”

“The company is mine! I make the rules!”

“You useless employees are nothing but screws in the company machine.”

“When they rust, we throw them away. When they refuse to obey, we replace them! Without you, there will be plenty of fresh college graduates lining up to do your job tomorrow!”

“You think you’re irreplaceable? You really think you’re somebody?”

He advanced on me coldly.

“Let me tell you something. You could report me to the labor department and scream until your throat breaks. It still wouldn’t matter!”

“Arbitration requires evidence. A lawsuit through the first and second trials would take at least a year or two!”

“I can afford the best legal team in the city. I can drag you to death in court!”

“You can’t even afford next month’s rent. What resources do you have to fight me?”

Every word struck like a knife.

It was cruel and cold, but it was also painfully true.

That was exactly what gave countless unscrupulous bosses the confidence to exploit their employees without fear.

Ordinary people couldn’t afford the time or financial cost of defending their rights.

But I wasn’t an ordinary person without a plan.

More precisely, I had spent three full months preparing for this day and planning my counterattack.

I looked at the furious Richard, the greedy Kevin, and the sharp-tongued Megan.

Then I suddenly laughed.

Kevin frowned and took a step back. “What are you laughing at? Did the pressure finally drive you insane?”

I unzipped the backpack I had brought with me.

From the very bottom, I pulled out a document stamped with a bright red seal.

It was an official Computer Software Copyright Registration Certificate issued by the national copyright office.

I slammed the certificate onto the desk.

It landed directly on top of the layoff notice.

“Richard, open your eyes and take a good look at what this is.”

Richard suspiciously lowered his head and glanced at it.

After only one look, his face turned deathly pale.

The muscles in his face began twitching uncontrollably.

Megan leaned over to look, and once she read the words, even her voice began to tremble.

“Software name… Cloud Intelligent Data Processing System V1.0.”

“Copyright owner… Ethan Carter.”

“How could it be registered under your name?! You forged this!” Megan screamed.

I calmly retrieved the certificate and placed it back in my bag.

“Weren’t you just insisting that weekend training was my personal study time?”

“Didn’t you say it was all voluntary learning and had nothing to do with the company?”

“If it was the result of personal study completed during my personal time…”

“I wrote the code on my own computer during my own free time.”

“Then applying for a personal software copyright is completely legal and justified.”

Kevin began jumping around like an ant on a hot pan.

“That’s bullshit! It was the company’s research and development project!”

“You used your position to create it! It belongs to the company as a work made for hire!”

I took out the recording device and tossed it twice in my hand.

“But Richard just admitted on the recording that it wasn’t overtime or work done as part of my position.”

“It was the ‘executive practical training’ he generously provided me as an employee.”

“And in these three years, the company never issued a formal project approval notice or assignment letter for this system.”

“To avoid paying that pitiful amount of overtime, you didn’t even follow the most basic project procedures.”

“Legally speaking, this system has absolutely nothing to do with Blackwood Group.”

Richard’s body suddenly swayed.

He gripped the edge of the desk with both hands and barely managed to keep from falling.

“What… what exactly do you want?” Richard’s voice was completely hoarse.

I raised one finger.

“First, I’m formally notifying you that I quit.”

“Second, I’ve already sold the exclusive commercial rights to this system.”

Kevin began shouting. “Sold it? Who did you sell it to?”