Polly Sutton returned to school, and instead of going home, she went to the doctoral dormitory. The doctoral dormitory at University A has two people per room. Since Polly lives at her mentor's house, it's now just Emma Turner staying there.
When Polly Sutton entered, Emma Turner was writing her thesis. Polly threw herself onto the bed, "I wonder, is everyone treating me like a fool and deceiving me?"
"I can't say about others, but as for whether Victor Parker is deceiving you, it's hard to say." Emma responded while researching, "Five million is gone, the project is lost, working a whole month only to make clothes for others."
Polly Sutton felt disheartened at the mention of this, "Victor Parker said he would seek justice for me."
Emma gave a sneering laugh, "Do you believe that?"
"I don't." Polly Sutton lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, "Isabella Lowe daring to do this right now, she must be sure I wouldn't dare to say anything. There's less than two weeks until the contest results are announced."
"Well, in a drama of worthless competition, you losing is quite normal." Emma finished the sentence and turned to Polly Sutton, "Who else tricked you?"
"A wealthy heiress very fond of Victor Parker's mom, named Sophie Lynn, we've only met twice before. This time, she suddenly approached me saying the old lady of the Parker Family is forcing me to marry Victor Parker because their enemies are coming for revenge. So what, am I the Five Emperors Coins or the Peach Blossom Sword, can I protect the house or ward off evil?"
Polly Sutton lay there with her legs crossed, shaking them, finding it more absurd the more she thought about it.
"Probably watched too many little girl's revenge dramas." Emma resumed writing her thesis, "After knowing your relationship with Victor Parker, our senior brother was quite shaken."
Polly Sutton: "…"
"What? How did he find out about my relationship with Victor Parker? Wait, what relationship do I have with Victor Parker?" Polly Sutton sat up abruptly, "Senior sister, please don't talk nonsense."
Emma clicked her tongue, "Spousal relationship, a relationship like having a couple of sons, or the relationship of a soon-to-be-divorced couple who don't know if they can get divorced."
"How do you know?"
"Do you think I'm blind? Seeing Victor Parker act like a mouse seeing a cat, anyone can tell you're the petite princess in architecture strutting sideways, how is it that your little paws automatically change direction when you see Victor Parker?" Emma glanced at her junior sister, "You seriously think a cup of tea could fool me?"
Polly Sutton lay down feeling hopeless, indeed she was the only fool.
Emma finished her thesis, shut down her computer, and looked at Polly Sutton playing dead, "So are you just going to let it go?"
"Wait until the contest results are revealed. No way I'm just going to let it go." Polly Sutton thought about Isabella Lowe being confined by the Lowe family, if stealing others' things only results in being confined by one's own family, then the price is unreasonably low.
"Alright, then you should start preparing this year's thesis."
"Ah..." Polly Sutton grabbed a pillow and pressed it against her face, "Why do we have to write theses? I don't want to write them."
"Continue working on your 'Flowing Water Songs', didn't you like that one?"
Polly Sutton threw away the pillow, "I think I might've been deceived; maybe the design of 'Flowing Water Songs' isn't as classic..."
Perhaps it wasn't as classic, the exterior was indeed stunning but only at a fleeting glance. If a building's significance lies solely in its beauty for just a few years, then the building is meaningless.
"What?"
"Nothing, I'll head back to work on my thesis." Polly Sutton stood up, grabbed her bag, and prepared to leave. "Say sorry to our senior brother for me, this month I can't let you guys work for nothing."
Emma watched Polly Sutton leave, sensing her mood was not quite right.
******
Polly Sutton went to find Victor Parker for the money. If it weren't for Isabella Lowe, she might have won the bid, the five million should still be given.
However, Victor Parker was busy, busy with meetings.
Polly Sutton could only wait in his office.
Andrew Lindsey brought her tea, asking her to wait a little longer, saying the meeting's end time was unpredictable.
"Those old geezers never considered that sticking to old practices, the Parker Corporation will become a relic sooner or later?" Polly Sutton curiously asked.
"If it were just sticking to old practices, it would be fine. It's just that there are many targeting the Parker Corporation currently, and the board persistently tries to enforce outdated rules, inevitably causing delays." Andrew Lindsey sighed and said, "The president wants to enforce new management methods, but they keep hindering him."
Polly Sutton listened to Andrew Lindsey while sipping her water, "Why target the Parker Corporation?"
"Actually, ever since the old lady passed, many enterprises have started playing tricks on collaborations with the Parker Corporation. The Parker Corporation owns hundreds of five-star hotels and numerous resorts, and the regular expenses of these hotels and resorts are a significant cost. The previous suppliers began having logistical shortages, and there's been falsification among other issues lately, including the mismanagement you encountered previously. These situations cropped up right after the old lady passed this year."
Polly Sutton hadn't realized Victor Parker had inherited such a mess.
That old lady...
Polly Sutton recalled the image of that old lady as mostly unreasonable, yet she hadn't expected her to be a true powerhouse.
"Don't you find it strange? How come, right after the old lady passed, people dared to defy the Parker Corporation; do they really think the Parker Corporation is leaderless? At that time Victor Parker hadn't returned yet, but to conclude he's incompetent when he hadn't returned is too hasty."
Andrew Lindsey also couldn't comprehend, at least as a business person, such actions were quite rash.
"Special assistant, a call from President Cloud in L City." The secretary ran over to inform Andrew Lindsey, seemingly anxious, afraid of hearing bad news.
Andrew Lindsey hurried out to take the call, his face changed upon hearing what was said from the other end, and he went to the conference room immediately after hanging up.
Polly Sutton held her cup, watching Andrew Lindsey leave, then turned her gaze towards the secretary.
"Is it true that the hotel in L City is haunted? I heard from the staff there before, but it was pressed down, wasn't it?"
"It can't be, since President Cloud personally called, it's probably beyond suppression now."
"Since President Parker arrived, don't you think strange happenings in the company have increased? I heard yesterday in the bidding case, Polly Sutton left without even participating, you say..."
"Say what? Why I didn't bid—just ask me directly, why are you murmuring here?" Polly Sutton quietly mingled among them, speaking softly by their ears.
Several female secretaries were startled, wanting to act as if nothing happened with awkward and stupefied expressions.
Polly Sutton's gaze swept over the secretary who had just spoken; her words undoubtedly stirred panic among the staff, or perhaps was meant to directly tell these people all troubles were brought by Victor Parker.
It seemed Victor Parker faced not only external threats but internal issues as well.