As Benjamin continued to pursue jobs, he landed a position as a technical writer at a firm. It wasn't much, but he had to do it to support his mother. He knew what his mother had gone through to raise him and his older brother.
"Looking back, my mother went through a lot," Benjamin reflected. "My dad left because he couldn't cope with his responsibilities as a father. That's the worst thing a child can experience while growing up. My mother had to work three jobs to keep food on the table and pay for our education.
"My older brother couldn't stay due to the struggles he saw Mother going through, so he left to find his way and make money. Mother never wanted him to leave, as he was still just a young kid. It was a rough life growing up with just me and Mother. There were times when I got chased out of school because I hadn't paid my tuition fees. I would skip school for three to four days because Mother didn't have the money.
"I was angry back then because I was young and didn't understand life's struggles. Mother took loans so many times to pay my fees from high school to university. By the time my older brother Mike started working, he always supported me and Mother with everything he had.
"Mike was a good older brother, he was like a father to me. I never stopped loving him, even though he left to go and strive for his needs. Mike dropped out of school when the bills became too much for Mother, because he couldn't bear to see her struggle.
"Mike told Mother, 'I want my younger brother to succeed because I love him so much, and I believe in him. Whatever it takes to keep pushing his education, I'll do it.' I cried so much that night when I heard him say that.
"There were times when we ran out of food, and I wouldn't eat for a whole day. It was a rough life, but I kept going and going. I believe I won't give up now!"
Nicholas met Benjamin outside his home, sitting on the doorsteps. "You okay, brother?" he asked.
Benjamin replied, "Yeah, I'm good, but I've been having a lot of thoughts lately about not letting my mother down."
Nicholas sighed deeply and said, "You don't look okay, brother. You're not letting Mother down. I believe in you."
Benjamin's expression changed, and he said, "Ah, I'm working on a new project. I think you could present it to Mr. Elijah. Maybe it could secure me a position at the company."
"Do you think that's a good idea, going to Mr. Elijah again?" Nicholas asked. "You heard what he said the other time."
"Yeah, I think so, Nicholas," Benjamin replied.
"What are you working on?" Nicholas asked.
Benjamin hesitated to disclose the information, but since it was his best friend, he decided to share it. "I'm working on a new decentralized AI that can increase the efficiency of software by 60%. I believe Mr. Elijah would be very impressed."
Nicholas's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, that's very impressive, Benjamin! But that kind of work would take a very long time, considering your commitments."
Benjamin nodded. "Yeah, it's a lot of research and time-consuming, but I know I can do it."
Nicholas smiled reassuringly. "You can, brother. In the meantime, I'd like to find out Mr. Elijah's reasons for reacting the way he did the other day."
A week later, Nicholas found himself drawn to Rachael, the young lady at his company. As he watched her prepare to leave for lunch, he felt a spark of curiosity. What was she like outside of the office?
Nicholas took a deep breath and approached her. "Hey, Rachael, mind if I join you for lunch?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Rachael looked up, slightly startled, and raised an eyebrow. "I'm just grabbing something quick," she said, her tone neutral.
Nicholas smiled. "I won't keep you long, I promise. It's just... nice to get out of the office for a bit." He held out his hands in a friendly gesture.
Rachael hesitated, clearly unsure. "I suppose it's okay," she said finally, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
As they walked out of the office together, Nicholas felt a sense of excitement. He had no idea what the conversation would bring, but he was eager to find out.
As they returned to the office, Nicholas couldn't help but notice the subtle change in Rachael's demeanor. She seemed more relaxed, more open, after their lunch together.
"Thanks for joining me," Rachael said, smiling slightly as they walked back to their desks.
"No problem, thanks for letting me tag along," Nicholas replied, grinning.
As they settled back into their work, Nicholas found himself glances at Rachael. He was intrigued by her quiet confidence, her sharp intellect.
Just as he was starting to focus on his task again, Rachael spoke up. "Hey, Nicholas?"
"Yeah?" he replied, looking over at her.
"I have a meeting with Mr. Elijah later today. Want to come with me?" she asked, a hint of mischief in her eyes.
Nicholas's heart skipped a beat and he thought to himself; "A meeting with Mr. Elijah? That was a big deal. And Rachael was inviting him to join her?"
"Definitely," he said, trying to sound casual.
Rachael smiled, "Good. I'll fill you in on the details later."
Nicholas nodded with lots of thoughts on his head, "What was this meeting about? And why was Rachael including him?" He couldn't wait to find out.
As the meeting time approached, Rachael leaned over to Nicholas and whispered, "Okay, here's the deal. Mr. Elijah is a 20% stakeholder in the company."
Nicholas's eyes widened in surprise. "What? I had no idea."
Rachael nodded. "Yeah, he's a silent partner. But that's not all."
Nicholas raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What else?"
Rachael glanced around the office, ensuring no one was listening. "Mr. Elijah is also our IT manager."
Nicholas's jaw dropped. "You mean, he's the one in charge of our entire network infrastructure?"
Rachael nodded, her expression serious. "The same one. And he's been...difficult to work with, to say the least."
Nicholas's mind reeled as he processed this new information. Mr. Elijah, a stakeholder and the IT manager? No wonder he held so much sway in the company.
Just then, Rachael stood up, smoothing her dress. "Time to go. Let's go face Mr. Elijah."
"Did Mr Elijah invited me to this meeting specifically?" Benjamin asked.
"Yes he did," she replied with a chuckle.
The meeting with Mr. Elijah was surprisingly brief. "I trust you're both aware of the company's current goals and objectives?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Rachael nodded. "Yes, sir. We're on track to meet our quarterly targets."
Mr. Elijah grunted, seeming to accept this. "Good. I expect nothing but excellence from my team."
As they left Mr. Elijah's office, Nicholas turned to Rachael. "Hey, did Mr. Elijah specifically invite me to this meeting?"
Rachael nodded. "Yes, he did. I was surprised too."
Nicholas's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "I wonder why."
During the meeting, Nicholas had seized the opportunity to bring up his "new project". "Mr. Elijah, I've been working on something that I think will revolutionize software efficiency using decentralized Ai," he said, trying to sound confident.
Mr. Elijah's expression turned interested. "Oh? Tell me more."
Nicholas launched into a detailed explanation of the project, carefully omitting the fact that it was actually Benjamin who had been working on it.