Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 122

Stephanie couldn't believe she was being targeted on her very first day.

The entire OALA Group was a community of shared interests. With a new product launch on the line, they were all in the same boat.

Stephanie felt deeply apologetic that her personal issues were affecting the company's new product orders.

This was the culmination of all her colleagues' hard work. Everyone was hoping for a big win and a hefty end-of-year bonus, and now this mess had appeared out of nowhere.

The hit to the new car's sales would also be difficult to explain to headquarters.

Stephanie stood up to make a statement. "I will give everyone an explanation for this matter and do everything I can to minimize the impact on the company's new product."

For her colleagues, this was an unforeseen disaster—a new employee who'd been there for half a day was already tanking their launch orders. Stephanie braced herself for a barrage of complaints.

She had, after all, been through similar situations at Sapphire Group.

But to her surprise, the conference room remained quiet. Everyone sat at their desks, focused on their work, and not a single person stood up to criticize her.

Stephanie was taken aback. What was going on?

Hannah spoke up. "Stephanie, don't be too hard on yourself. As the industry leader, OALA Group is always in the spotlight. This could very well be a hit piece from a competitor. You were just an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire."

Her implication was clear: a rival company was trying to sabotage OALA Group, and Stephanie was merely an unfortunate victim.

Stephanie looked at Hannah in astonishment.

She never expected her new boss, whom she had just met, to defend her in a company-wide meeting.

The marketing director added, "Don't shoulder all the blame. A lot of factors contribute to a situation like this. You just ended up being the public face of it."

The finance director adjusted his glasses and offered some comfort. "Don't overthink it. The company won't just stand by and let you face this media assault alone."

Stephanie was speechless. Was this how a major corporation handled crises?

It was no wonder OALA Group was number one in the industry.

"PR department, please work on a damage control plan as soon as possible," Hannah instructed. "If there's nothing else, let's get back to work. Meeting adjourned."

The group filed out of the conference room in an orderly fashion.

Despite their reassurances, Stephanie still felt a pang of guilt.

So, she made a phone call. "Eden, I need a favor."

The person on the other end was a top student from her university, a mentor she had found on the school's online forum. It was from him that she had learned the technical skill of computer repair.

He agreed without hesitation. "Sure, send me the link."

A true master at work, he cracked the backend code with incredible speed. A few minutes later, he called her back.

"Got the info you wanted. Take a look."

After reading it, everything became clear. "Thanks. I'll treat you to dinner sometime."

"Who are you treating to dinner?"

Just as she hung up, a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

Stephanie turned her head, surprised to see Jonathan there.

He was sitting at the table behind hers and must have been there for a while. His coffee was already half-gone.