Chapter 757 Not One Less

’Isn’t this just a classic case of dangling a carrot?’

Forget a supervisor position. In the eyes of corporations, recent graduates are just a bunch of healthy, well-stocked workhorses. No matter how capable you are, you still have to start as an intern.

Who gets to interview for a supervisor position right off the bat? It’s even more impossible for a huge conglomerate like the Lane Group!

"Evan, Shawn Lane is offering me such a great opportunity, so of course there are conditions to discuss!" Vera Coleman gripped Evan Lawson’s hand tightly, afraid he was about to bolt. "Let’s just sit down and talk. Please, just do it for me, okay?"

"Evan, this is a public place. You could call this an open meeting, not some shady, clandestine affair." Shawn Lane spoke up again. "Vera and I have known each other since our freshman year. We’re friends. I would never do anything to hurt her."

Evan Lawson looked at Shawn Lane. ’I can’t say for sure if you’ll harm Vera,’ he thought, ’but I’m mostly worried about my junior.’

"Just a quick chat. It won’t take long," Vera said, shaking his arm in a way that was half-pleading, half-pouting.

Evan Lawson relented slightly and gave a small nod, seemingly compromising. He’d see just what this Shawn Lane was up to.

Seeing him nod, both Vera and Shawn smiled. They exchanged a look, and Shawn quickly asked with enthusiasm, "What would you like to drink, Evan?"

"That’s not necessary. Just say what you have to say. I’m in a hurry," Evan Lawson replied icily.

Shawn Lane wasn’t fazed. He simply gave a slight nod. "Alright. In that case, I’ll get straight to the point."

"Over the past year, the Lane Group’s artificial intelligence products have taken a major hit because of your team’s program. Both sales and user experience have been far from satisfactory."

"So, at the start of this year, the Lane Group had no choice but to completely overhaul its AI department. This includes bringing in top-tier talent, and the terms we’re offering are extremely generous."

Hearing this, Evan Lawson let out a cold laugh. "Why go through all that trouble?" he sneered. "Just disband the entire AI department. It’d save you time and energy."

Shawn wasn’t provoked. He knew Evan was just letting off steam. He gave a self-deprecating smile. "You’re joking, Evan. Artificial intelligence is one of the most promising fields of the future. Countless companies, even completely unrelated ones, are trying to get their foot in the door for a piece of the pie. The Lane Group would never abandon this sector. Our current difficulties are only temporary. As long as we use the right approach, we can always turn this decline around."

Knowing that Evan wasn’t about to say anything pleasant, Shawn steered the conversation back on track before he could interject. "Currently, the Lane Group is assembling an elite technical team in the field of AI. We’re paying top dollar to hire talented programmers, and we estimate the department will have over a hundred people to start."

At this, Shawn paused, smiling slightly at Evan. "And if you were to join us, the top position in that department would be yours."

Evan Lawson’s brow furrowed. "Aren’t we talking about Vera joining your company? Why are you dragging me into this?"

Vera swallowed nervously. "Evan," she said in a low voice, "their condition for making me a supervisor... is that you have to join, too."

Evan Lawson: "?"

"The head of the department!" Vera quickly interjected, trying to persuade him. "Evan, think about it. Your little studio only has a few dozen people, and you don’t even have much of a say. You’re just responsible for the technical side."

"But at the Lane Group, it would be different. You’d be the head of the department, managing a team of over a hundred people. You’d have real power!"

Evan let out a laugh. He turned to Shawn. "Are you serious? If I join the Lane Group, Vera gets to be a supervisor?"

Shawn Lane raised an eyebrow. "That’s right. But that’s not the only part of our offer. Evan, as long as you’re willing to come, your annual salary will start at a million dollars. You’ll enjoy all the benefits of our mid-to-senior level management, and I don’t need to tell you about the opportunities for advancement at a major corporation like ours."

"Then you two could work together in the AI department. Everything would be so convenient, wouldn’t it?"

Evan Lawson: "Convenient..."

’My ass!’

"Vera, you actually want an opportunity like this?" Evan Lawson looked at her, his expression serious. "Don’t you feel like an offer like this is insulting to you? You’re not my accessory!"

"Evan, don’t blow this out of proportion. An opportunity like this is incredibly rare for me. Do you have any idea how many years it would take for me to make it to supervisor at a huge corporation like the Lane Group on my own?"

"If you just agree today, we can both join the Lane Group!"

Hearing Vera say that, Evan’s face contorted. "Rare? It’s more than rare! It’s because you and they both know perfectly well that you’re nowhere near qualified for a supervisor role right now. They’re only offering it to you as a way to pressure me into agreeing. And not only are you not refusing, you’re actually helping the Lane Group try to persuade me!"

Evan shot to his feet and faced Shawn. "You’re not really after me, are you? You want our team’s technology. You want me to bring it over to the Lane Group, and then once it’s all established, you’ll just kick me to the curb!"

"You capitalists are the best at playing these games. You say one thing and do another. The only thing you care about is profit!"

"Evan, of course we’re interested in your skills. I won’t deny that." Shawn didn’t give up, pressing on. "But it’s natural for people to want to better themselves. The Lane Group is simply offering better terms, so why refuse? Don’t you want to think about your own future?"

"My future is with the ’Calabash Brothers,’ and that’s final!" Evan was unmoved. "We’re called the ’Calabash Brothers’ for a reason—the team isn’t complete if even one of us is missing."

With that, Evan turned and walked away without a second glance.

"Evan! Evan!"

Vera shot up from her seat in a panic but didn’t forget to turn to Shawn. "Shawn, please don’t be angry. He’s just like that. I’ll talk to him again when we get home."

"Don’t bother, Vera." Shawn’s own temper flared. "Let him stay in that tiny studio of his. He’ll regret this one day."

"Shaw..."

Without another look at Vera, Shawn also stormed off.

Frustrated, Vera stomped her foot but still ran after Evan’s retreating figure.

"Evan!"

Evan hadn’t actually abandoned Vera; he had just walked to the curb and stopped. But he was still seething. He looked at her and said sternly, "Vera, never again. Not cooperating with the Lane Group is the number one rule at our studio. It’s a warning that’s been drilled into every single one of us!"

Seeing how genuinely angry Evan was, Vera felt the words catch in her throat. "I didn’t mean anything by it," she said, her voice softer. "I just thought Shawn seemed sincere. But if you don’t want to, then you don’t want to."

It finally dawned on Evan. "So that’s why you kept hounding me with questions about my junior this morning! I already told you everything, but you wouldn’t let it go. This is what you were really after!"

"I’m sorry, okay? Shawn is leaving the country soon. He won’t bother you again."