Lydia drove to the kindergarten and was surprised to see Nyla coming out with Merrick's son.
"Mommy!"
Nyla happily ran into Lydia's arms, while Geoff looked on with a hint of envy.
"Hello, Auntie."
"Hello, Geoff. I didn't expect to see you again. Auntie is very happy."
Lydia was genuinely pleased. She let go of Nyla and knelt down to give Geoff a big hug.
"Geoff is happy too." Geoff hugged Lydia back, though a bit awkwardly.
"Mommy, Geoff is in the same class as me. He takes good care of me."
Nyla explained excitedly, even more thrilled than Lydia.
"Oh, what a coincidence. Thank you for taking care of Nyla, Geoff…"
Compared to his father, who was as cold as an iceberg, Geoff was like a little warm sun.
"No need to thank me, Auntie. It's my duty to take care of Nyla."
Geoff spoke with the maturity of a little adult. For the first time, he felt his own importance. And that hug from Auntie felt so warm and wonderful.
"Sweetie, you're such a smooth talker. Auntie just adores you," Lydia said, pinching Geoff's cheek affectionately, though a wave of bitterness rose in her heart.
"Young Master, it's time to go home."
A man suddenly appeared, and Lydia turned to look at him. When she turned back to Geoff, the smile had already vanished from her face.
"I have to go home now. Goodbye, Auntie. Goodbye, Nyla."
"Oh, alright. Hurry home then. See you tomorrow."
"Goodbye, Geoff," Nyla said, waving her tiny hand.
Geoff followed the man out. Watching his small, retreating figure and remembering the sudden sadness in his eyes, Lydia felt an indescribable ache in her heart.
"Mommy, can you give me a brother too? If I had a brother, he could protect me," Nyla asked innocently from the backseat of the car.
Lydia's eyes froze, and a sharp pain pierced her heart.
"Geoff can protect you just fine," she replied softly.
If only she hadn't sent her own child away back then, he would be as big as Geoff now.
---
The next morning, Lydia deliberately waited a bit longer after dropping Nyla off at preschool, hoping to see Geoff, but he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he had arrived earlier.
Today was her second day at work, marking the beginning of her official duties.
The first batch of phones, already taking shape, was now the subject of a meeting discussing the software and chip configurations for each model.
With Merrick absent today, Lydia felt more at ease. No one was there to give her a hard time, and she had no intention of clashing with anyone.
"Based on the data you provided, I've given my recommendations for each phone's configuration. This includes the processor, memory, camera, sensors, and screen. I've also detailed my suggestions for the user interface and application software. Manager Hall, please report this to President Lawrence. If there are any issues, I can make adjustments."
From the start of the meeting until now, Lydia had been the primary speaker. Her expertise earned her admiring glances from everyone, making her seem like a completely different person from yesterday.
"Alright, I'll head to the president's office as soon as the meeting is over," Manager Hall said, looking at Lydia with admiration. Despite her young age, her achievements were remarkable.
"Manager Hall, please convey my message. My recommendation is that the phones should not only have high configurations but also strong performance, and they must be affordable. If we can achieve these points, our first batch of phones will definitely capture the market."
Lydia once again conveyed her thoughts through Manager Hall, not wanting to face that icy expression directly.
"I'll pass on the message, Miss Austin. There's one last thing. The design department just sent over this high-end phone model. Take a look at the design sketches and see if you can find a way to reduce the costs."
Lydia took the documents from Manager Hall and began to browse through them. Her brows furrowed as soon as she saw the design sketches.
"This phone is already on the market from other manufacturers. If we produce it, it will just be a copy. Without our own innovations, it will be hard for consumers to remember us."
"This phone isn't innovative enough. My opinion is either we make the specs top-notch or we don't produce it at all."
Lydia didn't have high hopes for this foldable phone. She felt it had nothing appealing besides its price.
"But if we make the specs top-notch, the costs will definitely be high. If our price is higher than similar products from other brands, we won't have any advantage," Manager Hall explained his viewpoint.
"That's why I said we shouldn't follow in others' footsteps. We need to innovate ourselves. Have the design department take another good look at it. This is just my personal opinion; ultimately, President Lawrence will make the final decision."
Lydia's words left a moment of silence hanging in the air.
"Manager Hall, give me two minutes. I'll configure this phone."
Lydia still felt uneasy about it, but her job was strictly limited to the internal hardware and software of the machines. She just needed to do her part well. As for what kind of products the company wanted to launch, that didn't seem to concern her.
A few minutes later, Lydia used her computer to create two configuration files. It was up to them to decide which one to choose.
"Director Austin, didn't you say this phone shouldn't be launched?" Manager Hall asked, puzzled.
"I did, and that was my personal opinion. Just because I provided the configurations doesn't mean I've changed my mind. You should report this to President Lawrence."
With that, Lydia began tidying up the files and her computer in front of her.
---
The meeting ended, and the video feed in the president's office remained focused on Lydia.
Merrick's eyes were deep, and his brows furrowed.
He had watched Lydia's performance throughout the meeting. She was diligent and confident in her work, and she handled her professional knowledge with ease.
In Merrick's eyes, Lydia's work experience didn't match her age.
"President Lawrence, should we still request MapleTree Corporation to replace her?" Dixie asked.
"Let's observe for a while longer."
This woman still had potential; she needed to be monitored closely. Missing out on such talent was not an option.
"Tell the design department to come up with a new high-end model."
The thought of Lydia's recent feedback irritated Merrick. Even a software engineer could tell the design was a copy. How could the highly paid professional designers he hired not see it?
"I'll notify them right away."
Dixie left, and shortly after, Manager Hall came in to report on the work.
Merrick had already seen the entire meeting, so there was no need for Manager Hall to go into detail.
He carefully reviewed the configuration sheet Lydia had provided, and his expression gradually softened.
"No need for improvements. Except for the high-end model, start production based on this configuration sheet."
Lydia's proposed configuration was flawless, leaving Merrick with nothing to criticize.
"Manager Hall, please inform your department staff about tonight's dinner to welcome Director Austin."
"I'll notify them right away. President Lawrence, about the high-end model?"
Manager Hall was puzzled why Merrick hadn't given his opinion on the high-end model yet.
"Let's hear your thoughts first," Merrick replied coldly.
"I just reviewed Director Austin's suggestions and the two configurations she proposed. I think her analysis makes sense. My opinion is that we either don't produce it at all, or if we do, we should go with the lower configuration. It shouldn't be marketed as a high-end model," Manager Hall stated.
"I'll discuss it further with Director Austin. Even if this model isn't positioned as a high-end one, we still need to have a high-end model. Otherwise, our brand's positioning will be seen as inferior."
Merrick's deep, strategic eyes were hard to read. He was thinking more about the brand's standing in the market.