The Master Programmer

Sighing, Veronica had thought about how much 1 per cent was. Way too much. She had signed a deal for about 3 years, and 1 percent of the total deal was about 500,000 dollars Shaking her head, she turned to Samantha and then said instead of one per cent she would rather pay a fixed fee added on top of 200,000 dollars. After hearing this, she sighed and then nodded. Fine. She was going to reluctantly accept this gracious gift. Veronica also stood up, saying that she hoped Samantha would take care of Jason, and Samantha said she would make sure to take good care of him. As Veronica sat there, in her car, she couldn't help but sigh yet again. What the hell was she doing? Bringing him into her home, giving him a job that she had paid for… She might be going insane. And yet at the same time, she couldn't deny it. Jason's drive, his charm, his vision... it was infectious. And whether she liked it or not, she was becoming more invested in his journey than she'd anticipated. Little did Veronica know that Samantha had just thrown him away into some random team, and told the team leader to take care of him and not expect too much from him. If she knew, she might have been extremely saddened by it. She had paid the equivalent of four years of Jason's employment. Veronica could only hope for the best. She had to just take it a step at a time. But based on the way Jason spoke and controlled himself, she could tell that he was someone who was going to go places. — Meanwhile, Back at the Office — Inside the office, Jason's energy was magnetic. He greeted the receptionist with a charming wink, earning a giggle and a playful eye-roll. Then, like a man on a mission, he got to his office, greeting everyone in the department, and then stepping into his team room. He handed out coffees to his team members, each one customized to their preferences. "Jason, how did you know I take almond milk?" one colleague asked, surprised. "Simple," Jason replied with a casual shrug. "I pay attention." His voice carried a tone of humility that belied the calculated nature of his actions. But actually, he had seen a coffee cup with lipstick on it and thereafter traced it back to her. He saw the flavour on the cover. Almond milk coffee. It wasn't just her. It was all of them. He had been paying attention to their favourite coffees, and on his way to work, he had grabbed them. Normally they would go out and grab these by themselves, but Jason knew that they would only get time later, but they preferred it earlier. That was why he did what he did now, while it was in the morning. People appreciate it when others simplify tasks for them. If individuals are willing to ease their burdens, they would gladly welcome the assistance and would cherish the opportunity to continue this cycle of ease and support for the foreseeable future. Internally, Jason knew this small gesture wasn't just about coffee. It was about making people feel seen and valued. This was a fundamental principle of human connection that his itself greatly to his intentions. He'd observed their orders over the past few days and memorized them, turning this knowledge into a powerful rapport-building tool. When he finally reached his desk, Jason took a deep breath and immersed himself in the day's tasks. His plan was simple but effective: act like a sponge, soak up knowledge, and become indispensable. He approached his colleagues, who already felt like they owed him a lot due to his usefulness, with carefully framed questions, subtly positioning them as experts and him as the guy, who needed help, and who knew they were people who could help him out because they were oh-so-amazing experts in the field. He was raising them, and pulling himself down. People loved that kind of thing, even while not knowing how or why. They loved feeling above certain people, especially in a natural hierarchy like a work environment. Seniors loved being above Juniors, executives loved being above management. This never changed. Even on that day, Jason was using this strategy to get on people's good side. "Hey, Sarah, could you walk me through this report format again? You're amazing at breaking it down," he said, his tone infused with genuine curiosity. A slight compliment here, a good smile there. Nobody could slap a smiling face, especially if it was coming along with a compliment based on competence, something that was built over time and effort. Sarah smiled, flattered. "Of course, Jason. It's not that hard once you get the hang of it." By seeking their advice and assistance, Jason wasn't just learning; he was creating an environment where people felt invested in his success. This mutual dependency was no accident—it was strategy. Once he succeeded, if anyone ever looked at him and asked him how he had done it, who would he recall? His team Members. Oh, Sarah helped me with this, and without her, I would never have understood. Oh, this person helped me with that and that gave me some real insight that I was able to apply in other places. It would build and soon enough… Jason's coworkers would know that he was spreading their good tales everywhere. But if Jason did this long enough, they would get complacent. He could not allow such a situation. This meant that he had to copy them at first, but he also had to innovate on top of it to make himself stand out. In this way, Jason was going to turn the tables. He was a student now, but soon he would be the expert. In the following weeks, Jason's approach began to pay dividends. He spent his evenings and mornings studying AI automation tools and workflows, applying his newfound knowledge to streamline team processes and in the day, he spent them being useful to his teammates, doing their work much quicker than they ever had and speeding up their work. His methods weren't just efficient; they were revolutionary. At the next team meeting, the results were undeniable. The team's productivity had skyrocketed, and everyone knew who was responsible. Samantha, the boss of the company, leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile playing on her lips as she reviewed the numbers. "Looks like we've got a rising star among us," she said, her gaze landing on Jason who had been called to her office only after two weeks, not because he had done something wrong, but because he had done something incredibly, boosting the productivity of the team by over 100 per cent and improving Sales from Ads by a good 30 Percent. Jason met her eyes with unwavering confidence. "Just doing my part," he said humbly. Except there was no humility there on his part. No, it was all perfect. He said before that he would be the most valuable employee this company had ever hired and he would do it within three months. Well, here he was, two weeks in, proving that he was already on his way there. Samantha looked at him and smirked, wondering what kind of relationship he had with Veronica. She had tried to probe what kind of relationship they had before, but Jason had revealed nothing to her. Now that Jason was showing her this side of him, she was growing more and more curious about it. And now she even felt a bit curious. He said he could do it in three months... If he actually managed to do it. Then he might just be able to be the most valuable hire in the company's history. Look at this "modest" guy… She was getting reports claiming that he was building connections with people not only in his group but also outside it, making sure to hang out with the person in the HR team, Oliver. For what reason? Who knew? "Well, could we rely on you to implement these workflows and automation into the rest of the teams? Maybe the other departments too?" Samantha asked, leaning back with a smirk on her face. Jason nodded, saying, "Yes of course. You can rely on me. I will not let you down… that is, as long as I get the proper compensation. After all, me implementing this will save every team so much time… and time is money." "Of course. Time is money... Well done, Jason. You will get commissioned for this. Now, you can go. I don't want you to be wasting too much of my money here." Samantha said, with a smirk, admiring him more and more. Jason nodded and then stepped out. As he walked through everyone he greeted them with a smile, and they also greeted him. He was such a humble guy, they all thought. So hardworking. Jason smiled and sat in his seat when he got back. "Jason, could you deal with this Contract for me, please, filling it with the right information? I need it ASAP." "Sure thing. I'll just run it through the workflow." After hearing those words, the team member smiled and then got back to work. Jason watched her with a casual expression. He had already made himself indispensable. Now that he was done with this, he could finally commit to his next move. He knew that recognition was only the first step. True influence came from becoming irreplaceable. This commission he was receiving was only the beginning. Colleagues were seeking him out for advice, and even the higher-ups were beginning to take notice. As Jason left the office that evening, he paused at the elevator, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. The seeds he'd planted were beginning to bear fruit. And though he still had a long way to go, he could feel the momentum building. He stepped into the elevator, the words from the System's Mentality Data Block echoing in his mind: Success is not about what you achieve alone. It's about the ecosystem you create. Jason couldn't agree more. Right then, Oliver also entered the elevator, looking completely beat after a long day. Perfect. It was time to put the finishing touches on this game too.