Chapter 303:
“Brad! You’re just going to stand there and let this happen?”
Brad remained silent, but Rylie stretched, yawning as she turned her head. “Oh… wrong one. That’s not it.”
She stood slowly, the blazer slipping off her shoulder. Brad caught it and placed it back in place.
“With this cold, you’ll catch something,” he said in a low voice.
Rylie walked to the other side of the pile and lifted a black cloth. Underneath, a sleek, upgraded medical device was revealed, stunning everyone.
It resembled Ronan’s machine but was more advanced. It had extra parts and a more complex build, clearly improved.
“This is my upgraded version. Test it at the camp. I’ve added the new manual into the system,” Rylie said, rubbing her eyes.
Candice eyed the machine warily. “Did you tamper with it without permission?”
“Not really. I just fixed the loopholes and improved everything,” Rylie answered.
“You did this by yourself?” Candice asked, full of doubt.
Rylie let out another yawn. “Mm-hmm.”
Brad stepped in. “Since it’s patched and upgraded, let’s take it to the camp.”
Candice folded her arms. “Let’s be clear. This still belongs to the Navy. If she damaged it, she’s guilty of misusing public resources. That’s a serious offense — ten years minimum. Brad, think twice.”
Brad remained calm. “Remember what you promised.”
Candice paused. “What promise?”
Brad’s voice was firm. “Your false reports on the equipment led to major losses. You said you’d resign if your negligence caused harm. So now, it’s time.”
The reminder hit Candice hard. She had said those words without thinking, but Brad hadn’t forgotten.
She shot him a penetrating glare. “I won’t submit my resignation. I haven’t made any mistakes. Only you, Brad, once a legendary figure, are now blinded by sentiment for a girl, foolish to this extent. I must have been blind to have believed in you. I’ll see you at the camp.”
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With that, she turned and left with the soldiers.
The lab grew quiet again. Then, Sean stepped in and asked calmly, “Will this upgraded machine really pass military inspection?”
Rylie nodded and said, “I’ve already run every test I could think of. Everything checks out.”
Sean gave a thoughtful look, a glimmer of calculation flashing in his eyes. “Maybe the machine runs smoothly here, but things will be different once we get back to base. Brad, word has it that Jaxon has joined forces with Ronan. Even the Army’s Commander-in-Chief is getting involved. It seems like they want to see you taken down a notch.”
Brad responded calmly, “When I heard Candice was heading this way, I called the Defense Minister myself. He’s sending a second team, real experts, to make sure this machine meets every requirement.”
A visible weight seemed to lift from Sean’s shoulders. “Now that he’s stepping in, I’m not worried. Go on, both of you. You have work to do.”
Brad’s decision to break protocol for a college student’s invention, and to commandeer Ronan’s latest medical equipment, had become the talk of the town.
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