Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Dr. Mei, the Project Leader for all biochemical work at Red Phoenix, stands at the door. With her hawkish gaze and severe demeanor, her presence is commanding. The walls close in around me.
“Mia, may I have a word?” Dr. Mei’s voice is calm but firm.
It’s not a request, but a summons.
All I can think of is she knows.
My heart thunders as I follow her into her office that feels ten sizes too small. I keep my expression neutral and pray, knowing I’ve been caught stealing company files.
“I’ve been reviewing your work,” Dr. Mei begins. Her gaze fixes on me, making me feel small and very guilty. “Your contributions to the project are invaluable, but you are overextending yourself. The hours you’ve been putting in are not sustainable.”
I swallow hard, trying to read between the lines.
“Dr. Xiang mentioned you’ve been working long hours.” She gestures toward the clock. “From the security logs, it looks like you haven’t left your workstation for days. Is this true?”
“Yes, Dr. Mei. I got caught up in my work.”
“You remind me of myself when I first started out, but you need to take breaks and get adequate rest. You’re of no use if you’re exhausted. It makes mistakes more likely, and I don’t need to tell you how we can’t afford mistakes. The work you’re involved in is too important.”
“Yes, Dr. Mei.”
“You’ve taken no personal time in the two years since you’ve started.” She flips through a file on her desk. “No time off at all. You work later than anyone else and come in almost every weekend.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“Not at all. Dr. Xiang is concerned about you. You’re one of our most dedicated employees, but he thinks you overextend yourself and that it could become a problem.”
This has to be a test. Is she trying to figure out if I will run? I pretend as if this is any normal conversation between a supervisor and an inferior and pray.
“I appreciate your concern, Dr. Mei. I’ll consider taking some time off.”
“No considering. You will go to your dorm and get some sleep. Take a day for yourself. Head into Shanghai. Go to a bar. Have drinks. Whatever you do, don’t come back until Monday.”
“But…”
“Your work will still be here.”
I’m not getting fired?
Arrested?
Is it possible she doesn’t know?
With no way to know, I go with it. This may be my one and only chance to get out of here. Unless, it’s still a test.
Dr. Mei gives a sharp nod, telling me this isn’t up for debate.
“Of course, Dr. Mei.” My voice gets stuck in my throat and barely rises above a croaked whisper. My legs tremble as I stand, betraying my fear, but somehow, I manage.
“Rest well, Mia. We’re relying on you.” Dr. Mei’s words echo in the room but sound distant, overshadowed by the thundering of my heartbeat .
I offer a shaky nod, unable to form words for a proper goodbye, and practically trip over myself in a rush to leave the room.
Panic claws at my chest. I feel exposed and vulnerable, and the fear within me turns into a visceral, living thing.
I did what I did, and there’s no going back now. I have this one opportunity to escape with what I have and never come back. Because there’s one thing I’m sure of… The moment Dr. Xiang returns, he’ll uncover my snooping if he doesn’t already know.
My tablet is a veritable ticking time bomb and shoving it into my bag feels like arming a weapon.
I have to leave.
The hall outside my lab seems to stretch out like a gauntlet, but I’m proud of myself. I hold my head high and square my shoulders against the weight of this secret. I offer a tight smile and casual nod to the security guard monitoring the exit. I tell myself to play it cool.
Don’t react.
Don’t look guilty.
I’m nothing more than another exhausted researcher leaving for the night.
But I’m in possession of stolen and highly classified information.
If they catch me before I figure out what to do with this information, my life’s forfeit.
But I made it past security.
Stepping outside, the cool air did nothing to quench my fear. With every step, I brace for the sound of an alarm, for the grip of hands dragging me back to a fate worse than any nightmare.
Which leads me to this moment.
Instead of going to my quarters as Dr. Mei suggested, I hail a taxi and give the driver an address on the other side of the city.
Dr. Mei did tell me to get out, go to a bar, and take a day off from work.
I need that time.
I need time to figure out my next steps.
As the taxi pulls away from the curb, I glance back at the towering edifice of Red Phoenix Pharmaceuticals. The building that once embodied my dreams and aspirations now feels like a looming threat, a symbol of corruption and deceit.
I clutch my bag tightly. The world needs to know the truth, and while I may be just one person, I have the power to make a difference.
And that’s exactly what I intend to do.
The fate of the world depends on it.
It sounds a bit melodramatic, but it’s true. It’s terribly, and horribly, true.