Chapter 2: Rock Bottom
The applause in the meeting room slowly faded, leaving behind a silence that gnawed at Kin's heart. He sat still, as if cursed, while others gradually rose from their seats. Some walked over to congratulate Rin, who stood smiling proudly.
No... he couldn't let it end like this.
Kin gathered all his strength, forcing his leaden legs to stand up. He walked directly to Rin, who was talking near the meeting room door, waiting until the last executive had left.
"P'Rin..." his voice was hoarse, almost inaudible. "We... need to talk."
Rin turned to face him. The friendly smile she used with others vanished instantly, replaced by a contemptuous smirk and cold eyes.
"What is it... Nong Kin?" She intentionally drew out her words.
"That project... it was mine," Kin squeezed the words out. "Everything in it was mine."
Rin chuckled. "Yours? So what?" She leaned closer, her perfume becoming a repulsive scent to Kin. "Now it's mine, and the executives have approved it."
"Why... why did you do this to me?"
"This world is cruel, Nong Kin," her eyes hardened. "Being smart alone isn't enough to survive. You have to be cunning too... Consider it your first lesson in the real working world."
That sentence was like a sledgehammer crushing the last remnants of his hope.
"And remember... don't do anything stupid," she added, before gracefully turning and walking away, leaving Kin standing there alone, humiliation coursing through his body.
One week later...
Kin was called into a small glass room in the HR department. The atmosphere was vastly different from the luxurious main meeting room. Here, there were only two cheap metal desks and an HR employee who looked at him with emotionless eyes.
"We regret to inform you that Khun Kin did not pass his probationary period. Here is the document for the termination of your employment."
A piece of paper was pushed across the table to him. Kin stared at it blankly, and what made his heart even colder was the signature of the evaluator who approved his dismissal...
Rinlada Wongpaisarn
Head of Strategy and Development
She not only stole his future, but she was also the one who personally cut it off.
An hour later, Kin returned to his desk to pack his few personal belongings into a brown cardboard box. A silly dog-patterned coffee mug, a small cactus, and a worn-out AI textbook he'd read countless times. Everything seemed to mock his defeat.
"Packing up? Where are you going?"
The voice he hated the most sounded again. Rin stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the partition beside him, looking at him with the eyes of a victor.
Kin didn't reply. He intended to pack his things and leave this place as quickly as possible.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Rin continued. "If you're thinking of running your mouth and wasting your time telling anyone... think carefully."
She stepped closer. "Khun Paisarn... he's not just my boss, you know." She smiled provocatively. "If I whisper one word in his ear, your name will be blacklisted from all affiliated companies, and I'll write such a terrible 'evaluation' of your work that no IT company in this country will ever hire you."
It was a threat that sealed off every path. It was a confirmation that he could never fight her.
"Understand... little boy?"
Her last words were the final straw. Kin clenched his fists, trembling. He looked up, meeting her gaze. The eyes that had once been innocent now blazed with a vengeful anger he had never known before. But he still couldn't do anything...
Kin picked up the cardboard box and walked out of the office without saying a word.
He stepped out of the G-Corp Tower, and the outside world greeted him with heavy rain, as if to intensify his misery. Kin didn't bother to find shelter. He stood there, letting the rain wash over his weary body, but it could not wash away the humiliation in his heart.
He looked back up at the skyscraper that had once been his dream. Now, it was a monument to his defeat. Rain or tears, they mingled until they were indistinguishable.
"I'll get it back..." he whispered to himself, his voice trembling. Vengeance boiled in his chest, almost exploding.
"I swear... I'll get you all back!"