The Master Programmer-Chapter 65: Where Did You Find This One? 2

After thinking a bit more, Oliver remembered something, turning to the table and then grabbing the second cup of coffee that was on there.

Oliver, beaming, handed Jason that cup of coffee. "This is on me. In fact, coffee for your team is my new thing from now on. Least I can do for all the inspiration you give me on a daily basis. I don’t know man, you’re just so wise. I don’t get how it’s possible even though you’re younger than me."

Jason accepted the coffee with a nod, giving him the others that he was going to hand to his teammates. Oliver promised to get one of his errand boys to do the job, saying that Jason said yesterday he had something important to do and he had better do exactly that.

Jason nodded. "I’m off to our scary beautiful CEO’s office," Jason replied. "Got a meeting to attend. Hold the fort while I’m gone."

Oliver put a hand on his forehead in a soldier’s salute and Jason began chuckling. "I thought you were into rocks… now it’s army?"

"I’m into a lot of stuff…"

"I love it, Olly. Keep being you. Nobody else can ever beat you at that. See you later, bro."

"Check you later, Jason!"

Jason stepped into the elevator, the hum of activity below fading as he ascended to the upper floors. His mind, always several steps ahead, was already considering his next move.

The interaction with Tommy Carter was a puzzle piece a clue to a bigger picture involving the Carters and Reno Ventures. Whatever Tommy’s angle, Jason would figure it out. And to do that, he had to build up his connection with the CEO. And to do this, he needed to increase the amount of time he spent with her.

Jason thought a bit more… This might be crazy… but he had a good idea. Maybe a bit too good.

Reaching the executive floor, Jason walked over and after another moment, knocked lightly on the CEO’s door.

"Come in, Jason," came the familiar voice from inside.

Jason strolled into the dimly lit office, his every step deliberate. The faint scent of coffee lingered in the air, mingling with the sterile scent of fresh paper and electronics.

Behind the polished oak desk sat Samantha, a striking blonde woman whose mere presence commanded attention. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders in perfect waves, catching the faint glow of the morning sun.

Her tailored navy blazer clung to her figure, hinting at her curves without compromising her air of authority. She had a petite figure, but she was extremely beautiful. That was an undoubtable truth.

Jason smiled to himself. This was no ordinary woman; she was sharp, and calculated. But the slight furrow of her brow and the tension in her shoulders betrayed her current struggle. There must be something she was dealing with, something that was stressing her out.

She was like a fortress with a crack in its foundation… and he, Jason, had come prepared to exploit it.

He slid into the chair opposite her, his movements relaxed, almost casual. As he leaned back, his smirk deepened, an invitation for her to notice him. He didn’t speak, choosing instead to wait until she was ready to engage.

Patience was a weapon, and Jason wielded it expertly. If he was overly eager, it would lessen his presence. If he was too much of a try-hard, that would make him seem less valuable.

Just sitting there and waiting was enough pressure for the other side. Since she had called him into her office, she would have to address him soon enough. Jason was not worried in the slightest about this.

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After a few moments, Samantha’s eyes flicked up from her screen. Her lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "So, Jason," she began, her tone laced with intrigue, "what brings you to my office today?"

Jason’s smirk widened. "I thought it was time we talked. About our cooperation, of course."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a sleek leather folder, placing it on her desk with an air of finality. "Inside, you’ll find the full plan I’ve developed to automate every process in the company. I think you’ll find it... compelling."

Samantha raised a perfectly arched brow, leaning forward just enough for the faintest glimpse of her collarbone to catch his eye. Jason blinked as he withdrew his gaze from that scene. She was way too calculating…

"Compelling, huh?" she murmured, her voice dropping into a velvety tone. "And what makes you so sure I’ll find it... worth my time?"

Jason mirrored her lean, his smirk never faltering. "Because you’re a woman who knows value when she sees it. I’ll be brief and skip the excessive flattery."

Samantha chuckled, low and sultry, as she flipped open the folder. As her eyes scanned the data, her demeanour shifted. The playful smirk melted away, replaced by wide-eyed disbelief. Jason watched her closely, savouring the moment she realized just how powerful his proposal was.

She must be looking at the data… yup. It was pretty good, wasn’t it? Increasing productivity by more than fifty per cent, doubling the potential of every member of the company. That was effectively like saying she could double the revenue that the company produced. That was why she was so affected.

"Is this accurate?" she asked, her voice quieter now. Seeing how she wasn’t looking at him, Jason took that as a good sign. Focus on the work, not on me.

Jason nodded. "Every number, every projection. It’s all there. You can get some people to look over it if you’re not—"

"No need." Samantha gazed at Jason after saying this, running her eyes over his in a way that would have left a million questions in his mind. "I trust you."

Trust? Before Jason could even ask questions on what any of that meant, she snapped the folder shut and leaned back in her chair, her gaze narrowing. "Okay. I won’t flatter you on this, just like you didn’t flatter me. How much are you asking for?"

Jason met her eyes, unflinching. "One hundred thousand dollars. Upfront. Of course, you will not only be paying for the systems but also for me training a team to make sure that they maintain the systems too. I’m sure you will understand that this 100,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to what you can do."

Samantha looked at him with a straight face for the longest time, and Jason thought she might object, but in the next moment, something incredulous happened.

Her laughter broke the tension, sharp and biting. "Bold," Samantha said, shaking her head. If she told him that Veronica paid two hundred thousand just to get him through the door only for him to ask for half of that off the bat... What would he say?

There was no way she would allow something like that. "Fifty thousand. Take it or leave it."

Fifty thousand? Was she kidding?

Jason’s smirk faded, replaced by a steely determination. He leaned forward, his tone dropping into something almost hypnotic. "Are you sure you want to keep things the way they are?"

Samantha tilted her head, intrigued. "What do you mean?" With her petite frame and smaller body, anyone would have thought she was the most innocent woman in the world. But Jason knew better than that.

Jason gestured subtly toward her. "The slump in your shoulders, the faint tremor in your hands. You’re stressed, Samantha. Fatigued. Something is weighing on you, and it’s affecting your ability to make decisions."

After saying this, Samantha narrowed her eyes at Jason, but it seemed like Jason did not care even a little bit as he spoke up, saying, "It’s very obvious to me. You need results, and you need them now. If you’re serious about fixing this, I’m your best option."

Samantha looked at Jason for a moment, as if unsure if he was serious or not. But seeing the look in his eyes that was completely calm and collected, she soon realised that Jason was serious. And then as soon as she realised that, a bit of anger came to her heart.

For a moment, Samantha’s facade faltered. She stood abruptly, circling the desk until she perched on the edge, her crossed legs drawing Jason’s gaze momentarily before he looked back up to meet her eyes.

It was a good thing she was wearing some pants. If she wasn’t then that would have been a big problem. Was she still trying to affect his mentality at this moment? Testing his mettle? It would not work!

She regarded him silently as if weighing her next move. Finally, she sighed. "Fine," she said, her voice softer now. "I cannot give you the money you want though. At least not upfront."

Jason’s brows furrowed. So there really was something going on. As expected. If she was going through something then maybe if Jason pulled through for her, she would value him more and put him in the position he deserved to be in.

"Tell me about it. Please." Jason said, leaning one of his shoulders on his seat while staring up at her.

Gazing down at Jason, who had not lost his composure in all this time, Samantha seemed to smirk even though slightly, as she finally sighed again. "What can you possibly do? This is too big."

"Try me. Please. Just tell me what your problem is. Tell me what you need to solve. Who knows… I might be the solution to your needs."

Samantha stared at him for a while, before finally shifting her one leg, putting it over the other, subtly exposing the line of her pants for only a split second. "I’m in debt. Four million. And if I don’t get out of this contract soon, I’ll lose everything. Bank defaults, investor pullouts… "

Jason heard this and then smiled. Four million? Wasn’t that exactly the amount of money he had on him? Did she know that? Or maybe, did she research him? Did she know about his interactions with the underground?