Roger vividly remembered Hannah and Mary graduating from high school the same year. Mary excelled on the college entrance exam, filling him with pride, a fact he readily shared. He inquired about Hannah's results from Miguel, who casually mentioned her acceptance into a local college, omitting the name. Roger assumed Hannah hadn't performed well and had enrolled in a mediocre institution. He hadn't heard of any significant academic achievements from her in the years since.
Now, her claim of a high-level education was met with disbelief. He stared at her fiercely, skeptical of her boasts.
"Mr. Chairman, may I use the computer and projector?" Hannah asked.
"Of course," Miguel nodded, well aware of his daughter's background, yet unfamiliar with her mention of the Green Ribbon award. He was intrigued.
The staff quickly set up the equipment. Hannah, at the podium, began typing with slender fingers. "As you see, this is the official website of Kensbury University. Only faculty and students have access. Student account numbers are their student IDs, passwords are the last six digits of their national identification number. I'm entering my student number now."
She inputted the number, clicked to access her profile, revealing a brief biography, photo, name, gender, age, and other details. She clicked open her academic record, displaying an electronic certificate confirming her graduation from Kensbury University with master's degrees in Economics and International Commerce.
A stunned silence fell over the room. Hannah remained calm, unfazed by their reactions. She logged out, then logged into the Fox University website, stating, "The login method is the same."
Everyone watched as she accessed the Fox University intranet—a top-tier global institution. Many present were graduates of prestigious universities, but none from Fox. She searched for "Green Ribbon," revealing a page of award recipients, Hannah's photo appearing last, signifying her most recent win.
"So," Hannah said, looking at Roger, "Do you believe me now, Uncle Roger?"
Roger's expression was one of utter astonishment. He clearly hadn't anticipated this.
"Uncle Roger?" she repeated when he didn't respond.
"Okay," Roger said impatiently, "What's the big deal? Stop showing off!"
"I'm not showing off. I'm ensuring everyone sees this clearly. I'll close the website now; accessing the Fox University intranet without authorization is against school rules."
In reality, there were no explicit rules against showing others the site. Fox University's inherent prestige conferred a sense of pride and exclusivity to those with access.
"But why are you so upset, Uncle Roger? Jealous?" Hannah's casual remark further angered him.
He'd planned to seek revenge on Mary's behalf, but Hannah had seized the opportunity to showcase her achievements before senior management.
"What are you talking about? Nonsense! I'm not mad! Good grades don't guarantee success. How many top scorers achieve real-world success?"
"You're right, Uncle Roger. They say lower-scoring students are often more promising, like Wayne, Jane, and Mary. Perhaps they'll be more successful than me. Who knows!"
Her smile and sincere tone masked sarcasm; she felt her cousins were far from successful.
Roger's anger intensified. Hannah, however, quickly moved on, turning off the computer and addressing Maxwell, who appeared equally frustrated. "Mr. Watson, am I qualified for the sales director position?"
"You're well-educated, but that's not enough. Work capacity isn't about empty talk. Some have impressive resumes but achieve nothing in practice," Maxwell retorted.
"But you've judged my capacity before I've had the chance to prove myself. How can I demonstrate my abilities?" Hannah countered.
"I didn't say you couldn't prove yourself. Start as a grassroots employee. Once you've achieved something and proven yourself, promotion will follow logically, eliminating any doubt about your abilities or the Chairman's supposed favoritism."
Maxwell, in agreement with Roger, opposed Hannah's appointment as sales director, suggesting a general supervisor or office manager role at most, similar to Mary's position.
Hannah fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words. Miguel remained silent as well. He could have defended her, but speaking about favoritism, as CEO, would appear self-serving. He silently considered the best alternative position he could secure for her.
Maxwell, misinterpreting her silence as acquiescence, stated, "I don't want to offend the Chairman, but I must consider the company's best interests. I need to ensure I don't disappoint myself, the shareholders, or our ten thousand employees. I suggest Hannah start as a center supervisor in the sales department. It aligns with her qualifications and I believe she has more potential. This is a reasonable starting point."