Chapter 16

Jeff looked at Berliana who was shaking hands with the vice president with a flat look. Of course he was not happy, he had always tried to make everything his own but now he could not. Berliana had gotten the full support of the president even though she had made little sense to the system that currently had some components with her.

But after he understood and watched as Berliana explained everything, it made him know that he couldn't mess around anymore.

Berliana was indeed not his opponent as this woman had quite a bit of ability in the field of science and technology, certainly different from him who didn't have much ability at all.

"Congratulations on getting full cooperation with the President. Miss Berliana, we have high hopes for you to advance the welfare and level of our laboratories. Our country used to be a country of expertise and prowess in the field of science and technology but since the last few years all the performance has deteriorated because this laboratory, one of the most recognized places in the world, has declined because it has an incompetent chairman.

"We also feel guilty for not being able to make things better. Instead, we let things deteriorate, letting things go against the principles of professors and experts in the discovery of such things. We were ashamed but couldn't do anything because we were restricted by someone close to the President. We can only do what he tells us to do and nothing more because we are contracted. Contracting means working for what you are asked to do, not for what you are asked to do. It was very difficult, but because of Miss' presence we even started to get busy again with all the projects and the process of making human robots. We're really grateful to finally be able to work in the right field."

Even though Berliana was thinking a lot of things about Victor who hadn't moved since earlier, she smiled and listened to the head of the office organization where she was doing research.

"Apparently his uncle also interferes a lot?"

"It's no secret, everyone in this laboratory also knows that his uncle is the one who deliberately obstructs us to make things difficult. Miss being summoned directly by the President certainly makes Miss have a stable and special place so no one will be able to blame or make Miss experience difficulties. That's why we'll be very happy if your presence makes a difference to us."

Berliana smiled softly, then she was silent for a few moments. "If things continue like this, things will never get better, and it will be too late and too devastating. I intend to stop what they want. That way it will be easier, there is no need for incompetent people in the future. Maybe the president is indeed an insecure person who deliberately did not replace his useless uncle, not even looking for much evidence.

"If you think about it again, it's actually something strange because our government or president doesn't always have to feel meritorious to him either. They're just people who take advantage of the life and position they have. It's a very hokey way and it pisses me off, they should be able to understand what they are doing and not go out of bounds too much. But what they are doing is really out of bounds. I can't keep quiet if all the people suffer because of this. The country could be underfunded constantly if it's skinned by irresponsible rats."

They could all see the conviction in Berliana. But finally one of them took a breath as if sensing something difficult.

"We could never do that despite our intentions. All of our abilities and intelligence were covered up by her uncle because he didn't want anyone to stand out more than his niece. A very old-fashioned and annoying way, but enough to make anyone feel annoyed by his rules. We've also been struggling for years, so if there's any intention of making them step down, we'd be more than happy to. If Miss needs any help, please let us know so we can do anything for the common good."

Berliana closed her eyes after the meeting was over. Now she was thinking about how to speed up the whole process but it was also impossible to do it on the spur of the moment. There were many ways that could be done to bring down Jeff's family but right now the priority was to be a robot and stay a robot because that was her pride.

"It's nice to talk to them and get those tiresome compliments, isn't it?"

Berliana opened her eyes and felt lazy to look at the figure who came into her room.

"Of course, because I finally found out that you're neither a great chairman nor an admired one. Everywhere people look down on you and mock your family. With all that should have been done years ago by people who saw how bad you were. Why hasn't anything changed or made things better and they stopped doing it?"

Jeff clenched his fists with his eyes wide. To be humiliated again by this family was to make a mess of things. He came to be belittled but instead was belittled, it certainly wasn't something he was happy about.

"Don't beat around the bush with me, tell me what you came here for?"

Berliana's next words made Jeff snort. He stretched his neck, moving closer to Berliana's face until they were only inches apart.

"A little girl who was just recognized by America as the most reliable roboticist. We may not be able to compete in the world of science and technology, but there are still many ways to take you down and you don't have to rush to find out. You can take all my positions but you should know that I can also be a part of the top.

"Knocking you off the top is a lot of fun. You should know that your friends won't help at all because they will do what they want first. Besides, the colleagues and professors here are narrow-minded and won't be able to help you counter what I'm about to do. You should know that the future life is very difficult why always look forward to all the suffering you will feel."

Berliana smiled indifferently at the threatening words.

"Want to bring you down in a cheap way? I'm used to getting tricks like this in front of the government. Let the people gossip anyway, what would they say to me if you humiliated me in public one day. I've never cared about compliments, I can come up against power where I want and that makes curious people end up asking questions and going to some accounts on social media to demonize how much I don't deserve it.

"I've been a citizen for years and came back here because you're a person not to be pitied. After all that you should know, I won't be able to make everything whole again but my job will still be fine because I'm under the president directly. Scandal? A trap or something like that that you're going to do to me? I've been through all that in the past and there's nothing interesting about it. It counts now that you're just using female means to bring me down while you're a man. If everything was investigated and came from you purely and then it was spread out, would you be able to be like me who endured all the suffering?"

Jeff never managed to talk to her, the woman was very good at getting and replying to people so at the moment they could only keep quiet because they knew it was all very unreliable.

Arriving in his own room, Jeff was annoyed but he also didn't know how to persuade her. Because everything was really still going quietly and that was the most important part of what they were going to do.

"Well, I don't have any way right now to bring you down but you can never be a calm person forever. I will still do many things to make you fall and that is a way I will definitely be able to do. I'll first see how far you move, how far you make changes and that's the thing I'm really looking forward to because bringing you down when you're at the top is much easier because you're caught off guard."

***

Berliana was thinking hard in her room, no longer about the system but about the vector she saw this morning in the CCTV footage of her room. Victor's robot that had always been quiet and calm over the years was finally showing a reaction now and moving on its own.

It's not a matter of horror but there seems to be a system error that causes Victor to move as if he knows he is a robot. It took years for all this to happen and it left Berliana quite shocked and as of now she didn't know what to do.

"He always disappears whenever I open my eyes, doesn't that show that he actually knows that I'm aware of him? Then why does it have to look like something strange and deliberate like it wants to scare me."

Berliana sighed, she felt like something difficult to do when she was a robot maker. The problem was that none of the robots she had created did anything like Victor, it seemed like she had gone overboard in wanting to perfect everything and that was why Victor could walk without being activated.

"How long have you been waiting for this to work? Now I'm even a little scared to see you because I know things aren't easy. You won't want to admit that it's you either, you'll just shut up and be the most relaxed robot like you have nothing to do. I know you have a mission, but you don't have to act like a human with lust. You're a robot but you can do all that."

Berliana stared intently at the robot Victor in her screen recording. She wanted to address him with the microphone system but she was worried that Victor would find where the cameras were and also those who were watching him clearly so if she kept doing it and let the plate fall, it would be easier for her to make many changes.

"If you can talk by doing human-like activities you should just do it, no one will forbid me that but I know that it's also fun. I don't know, I don't dare to make sure everything will be like that. If it's different I'll also make the perfect development that can make you fit me."

Berliana smiled softly and put down her tablet. She had no idea how and what exactly was already working in Victor's system. Right now she hoped everything was as she expected.

Walking towards his research room, Berliana stared at Victor's silicon face which was silent as if it had done nothing. She sighed, then smiled softly and rubbed Victor's shoulder, before looking at him soulfully.

"You're getting impatient, aren't you? Just wait until things really work out the way I envisioned. At that time we will be together and nothing can separate us, you just need to wait and see everything come true, no need to wait for anything else."

Hugging Victor's body gently, Berliana closed her eyes and felt a great longing. However, she had to make everything according to what she expected so that there would be no mistakes.