Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: The All-Nighter Comeback

"I must silence them with strength." Su Wan said to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The girl staring back had faint dark circles under her eyes—traces of consecutive overtime—but her gaze was unusually firm, like a spark burning in the dark.That night, Su Wan brought her bedding from home and moved into the company's meeting room. She cleared the long conference table and spread out all the materials for the Stellar Center project—market research reports, geological survey data, drainage system calculations, and a thick stack of cases from similar past projects. The desk lamp cast a warm yellow glow, illuminating her focused profile. On the computer screen, the 3D modeling software displayed every detail of the underground landscape clearly.The underground landscape of the Stellar Center project faced a tricky problem: due to the high groundwater level, the traditional drainage system was prone to waterlogging. While the previous plan met basic requirements, Su Wan knew it wasn't perfect. She pulled up the city's rainfall data from the past five years, compared three different types of drainage pipes, and typed rapidly on the keyboard, calculating the cost, service life, and maintenance expenses of each.As the clock struck 1 a.m., the meeting room door opened gently. Zhang from the technical department, who was also working overtime, walked in with a bowl of steaming instant noodles. "Su Wan, still at it? I saw the light on and brought you this—eat it while it's hot."Su Wan looked up, realizing she'd been staring at the screen for three hours, forgetting to eat dinner entirely. She took the noodles and thanked him gratefully. "You're still here too?""Don't mention it," Zhang said, sitting across from her and unpacking his own noodles. "Engineer Li asked me to verify the pipeline connection data for the Stellar project—due first thing tomorrow. By the way, Mr. Lu asked about you this afternoon. He told us to keep an eye on you if we saw you working overtime, and not to let you overexert yourself."A warm feeling stirred in Su Wan's heart. She took a sip of the hot soup, and the warmth spread from her throat to her stomach, chasing away some of the fatigue. "I'm sure Mr. Lu just asked casually," she said, pretending nonchalance, but deep down, she knew his concern warmed her more than the soup itself.After finishing his noodles, Zhang chatted with her for a while before leaving. Su Wan threw herself back into work. She opened the latest drainage system drawings from the design institute, combined them with her own calculations, and began revising the plan. She replaced the traditional PVC pipes with new anti-corrosion steel pipes. Although the initial cost increased by 15%, the service life would be extended by ten years, and long-term maintenance costs would be reduced by 40%. To convince everyone at the review meeting the next day, she needed to support this adjustment with detailed data and cases.At 3 a.m., morning light filtered through the meeting room blinds, casting long shadows on the floor. Su Wan finally finalized the optimized plan. She organized all the data into a PPT and checked it three times to ensure there were no flaws. She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes for a ten-minute rest. Unconsciously, Lin Weiwei's mocking gaze and her colleagues' skeptical looks flashed through her mind—these had become her motivation. She wanted everyone to know that she'd gotten the Stellar project through strength, not connections.At 8 a.m. the next day, Su Wan freshened up briefly and rehearsed her presentation for the review meeting in front of the mirror. Promptly at 9 a.m., the meeting began in the company's large conference room, with review experts, company executives, and project team members all in attendance. Lin Weiwei sat not far from her, looking at her with contempt, as if saying, "I'd like to see what tricks you can pull."Lu Chengyu sat in the main seat, his gaze on her filled with encouragement. Su Wan took a deep breath, walked to the podium, and opened her PPT. "Dear experts and leaders, today I'm presenting the optimized drainage system plan for the Stellar Center's underground landscape. While the previous plan met basic drainage needs, considering the high groundwater level, I've adjusted the pipe materials and drainage paths..."As she spoke, she pulled up data charts, clearly showing the cost comparison, service life comparison, and maintenance cost comparison of the three pipe types. When she mentioned replacing PVC pipes with anti-corrosion steel pipes, Lin Weiwei was quick to object. "Su Wan, this adjustment is obviously unreasonable! A 15% increase in costs exceeds the project budget—it's an unnecessary expense for the company."Su Wan had anticipated this. She opened a backup PPT, pulling up maintenance cost data from similar projects over the past ten years. "Sister Lin, I've considered the cost issue. These are cases of projects using anti-corrosion steel pipes over the past decade. As you can see, while the initial cost is higher, maintenance expenses over ten years are 40% lower than with PVC pipes. Additionally, it eliminates the risk of waterlogging due to pipe aging, avoiding the need for rework later. Here are quotes from three building material suppliers and a pipe life test report from the design institute—all data is verifiable."She then pulled up the 3D model, using animation to demonstrate the optimized drainage paths. "Furthermore, I've adjusted the location of the drainage outlets, placing them in areas with lower groundwater levels based on geological survey data to further improve drainage efficiency. This is a simulation of drainage during rainfall—even in the event of a once-in-a-century downpour, all water can be drained within two hours."The review experts discussed in low voices, nodding from time to time. One senior engineer from the municipal design institute pushed up his glasses and said, "This optimized plan is comprehensive. It addresses the current drainage problem while considering long-term benefits. The choice of pipes is supported by data, and the path adjustment aligns with geological conditions—it's worthy of approval."The other experts expressed their approval, and the review team ultimately passed the optimized plan unanimously. As Su Wan stepped down from the podium, she met Lin Weiwei's ashen face. Lin Weiwei turned her head, unable to look at her. Su Wan let out a soft sigh of relief, her fingers brushing the USB drive in her pocket—containing the fruits of three all-nighters, it was her strongest defense against the rumors.Lu Chengyu walked over, handing her a bottle of mineral water. "Well done. I knew you could do it." His tone was filled with satisfaction, and his admiration was undisguised in his eyes.Su Wan took the water, her cheeks blushing slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Lu. And thank you for clarifying the rumors earlier.""No need to thank me," Lu Chengyu smiled. "You earned this with your own strength."When colleagues in the office heard the news that the plan had been approved, their looks of doubt turned to admiration. Xiao Li ran over excitedly. "Su Wan, you're amazing! Lin Weiwei's face turned green—let's see if she dares to spread rumors again!"Su Wan smiled, feeling as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. She knew she had finally won the war against the rumors. But she didn't expect that a new storm was already on the horizon.