Every day, Manager Daniel made an effort to find fault with Jack and Bell. When reviewing the ledgers, he acted as though he were using a magnifying glass to search for flaws. If there were no issues—there usually weren't—he would attribute the credit to Julie and Sophia, while deliberately ignoring Jack and Bell.
Daniel had a variety of methods to pick faults. The simplest was nitpicking over trivial details; slightly more advanced was mixing up responsibilities or shifting blame; and the most sophisticated involved using subtle tricks to obscure the truth.
At company meetings, Jack and Bell's names were rarely mentioned. Despite Julie and Sophia repeatedly emphasizing their contributions, Daniel chose to overlook them. Instead, he would complain to the general manager and deputy manager about the work ethic of "Millennials," claiming they "sit when they can stand and slack off whenever possible."
In a way, Jack and Bell's attitude toward work did have its shortcomings. There weren't always complex ledgers to process, and Daniel's deliberate suppression left them with few opportunities to showcase their abilities to the general manager. Whenever the general manager visited, Jack and Bell's tasks were reduced to feigned busyness or outright idleness.
Over time, the general manager began to voice some dissatisfaction with them. However, Julie and Sophia's strong recommendations persuaded him to give them more time to prove themselves.
Jack's approach was notably low-key, to the point where even Julie found it hard to watch. But this understated demeanor occasionally worked in his favor. At least the general manager thought Jack was "promising material."
As a result, Jack and Bell stayed with the trading company until the year's end.
In December, the company decided to hold its annual year-end celebration at a Brooklyn seafood restaurant. On the last working day of 2007, Jack received a year-end bonus from the general manager.
Unsurprisingly, Jack and Bell's bonuses were the smallest, a mere $400. Jack sneaked a glance at Julie and Sophia's bonuses—$1,000 and $800, respectively, amounts that were double his own.
"Well, it's our first year at the company," Bell said, taking it in stride. The two of them now worked as a team, with clear division of labor: Jack quickly calculated figures, while Bell filled in the ledgers. Their method was so efficient that they could finish a task in 50 minutes that took Julie two hours.
Ironically, their efficiency became another point of contention for Daniel. Whenever he saw them sitting idle, it rubbed him the wrong way, prompting him to stir dissatisfaction in the general manager as well.
Of course, Daniel was aware of Jack's capabilities, but the general manager was not.
At the celebration banquet, the general manager and deputy manager naturally didn't let minor grievances with two accountants ruin their mood. They cheerfully roamed among the twenty-some tables, toasting with everyone.
Refusing a toast from a leader was out of the question. Though Jack and Bell weren't particularly favored, the general manager and deputy manager still came over to their table.
Jack raised his glass and downed three ounces of whiskey in one go.
"Good!" The general manager, a man who appreciated strong drinkers, patted Jack on the shoulder. "Jack, why don't you also toast your supervisor, Daniel? After all, he's been mentoring you for a whole year."
Jack understood that Daniel was the general manager's confidant, having worked with him for over a decade to reach his current position. This was clearly the general manager's way of using the occasion to mend fences between Jack and Daniel. Even if they couldn't completely reconcile, a better working relationship would be beneficial.
Jack raised his glass with a polite smile. "Mr. Daniel, I'd like to toast to you."
In front of the general manager and deputy manager, Daniel naturally wouldn't show any displeasure. He smiled warmly, clinking glasses with Jack. At the table, the atmosphere seemed harmonious.
After the year-end banquet, Jack enjoyed a relatively peaceful New Year. However, this peace was short-lived, as Lilian returned.
Lilian was Jack's supervisor during his part-time work at the National Security Bureau. Her first move upon returning was to convene a New Year's meeting, even though Jack was the only member of the third team.
Sitting in the chilly conference room at headquarters, Jack endured two hours of lectures before finally speaking up: "Captain, when will we have a mission?"
"A mission?" Lilian, perched on the windowsill, gazed at the overcast sky. "No idea."
Jack sighed deeply. As he left the meeting room, a mix of emotions churned inside him. Standing at the bureau's entrance, he glanced back at the dimly lit building, feeling as though Lilian's past was shrouded in mysteries he couldn't unravel.
But he knew he lacked the ability to uncover her secrets.
What troubled him more was that after the New Year, Daniel's nephew, Ryan, was hired by the company. Daniel personally escorted the cocky young man into the office and explicitly assigned Jack to mentor him.
"Jack, you'll be training him," Daniel said, pointing at Ryan.
"Me?" Jack pointed at himself, clearly taken aback.
"Yes." Daniel patted Ryan on the shoulder. "Ryan, make sure you learn everything you can from your mentor."
If Ryan had shown any willingness to learn, Jack would have gladly taught him, just as Julie had once guided him. But the moment Daniel left, Ryan arrogantly declared, "I'm Ryan. My uncle is your supervisor."
Jack's enthusiasm for mentoring instantly vanished. He sighed, turned back to his work, and ignored Ryan.
Ryan, oblivious to social cues, leaned over and asked, "You do this boring stuff every day?"
Jack took a deep breath and nodded.
"What a waste of time." Ryan shook his head. "What's so great about this? Do you know how to cook the books?"
Jack turned to glare at him. While manipulating accounts wasn't uncommon in accounting, asking such a question on the first day of work was outrageous.
Bell intervened, saying firmly, "We don't do that kind of thing."
Ryan scoffed and walked away. The next morning, he loudly complained, "I'm going to tell my uncle! You're all ganging up on me!"
"That's nonsense!" Jack snapped. "When did we gang up on you?"
Ryan retorted, "You're all busy with your own work but never give me anything to do. If that's not sabotage, what is? I know your plan—you're trying to force me out!"
Jack was furious. "No one's trying to sabotage you or force you out!"
"Then why don't you give me any work?" Ryan demanded. "I studied accounting, too! My uncle told you to train me!"
Jack tried to keep his cool. "You want work? First watch how I handle the books. Once you understand, I'll give you tasks."
"I already know how to do it!" Ryan propped his feet up on the desk, looking disdainful. "I graduated from Quantum Finance Academy, you know!"
Jack decided he couldn't reason with him and went straight to Daniel's office. "Your nephew doesn't understand that everyone starts with simple tasks when they join. How can he handle the logistics department's accounts right off the bat?"
Even Daniel couldn't defend his nephew this time. After twenty minutes in the office, Ryan returned with a scowl and an attitude that dripped hostility.
Jack didn't care. Smiling, he handed Ryan a ledger. "Start by reviewing this, and we'll go from there."
Ten minutes later, Ryan tossed the ledger back onto Jack's desk. "I'm done."
"Done?" Jack was surprised. "Really?"
"Of course," Ryan replied confidently. "I went through it all."
"Any questions?" Jack asked, still skeptical. Was this kid a hidden genius? If so, it would be wrong to let personal biases hinder his potential.
"What's there to question?" Ryan sneered. "It's all pretty simple."