In my previous life, after I died, there was only one person who stood up for me—Jason. He went everywhere defending me, telling others I had been wronged. While everyone else either remained silent or jumped to conclusions, he alone spoke the truth.

Now, back in this life, I watched Luther continue to play his role perfectly, wearing the mask of concern and sincerity. He turned to me, eyes full of feigned innocence.

“Team Leader Cole, what do you mean by this? Are you suggesting we stole your data?”

His voice was calm, but underneath, I could hear the veiled threat, the implication that I was the irrational one.

Immediately, the rest of the team turned to me, their expressions twisted in anger and contempt.

“Team Leader Cole, you clearly don't have the capability to match Junior Grant’s data. And now you’re slandering us? How can you accuse us of stealing for him?” someone said sharply.

I didn’t respond. I simply changed my clothes in silence and locked the laboratory doors. My face was expressionless, but inside, I was burning.

I knew without a doubt that the data had been leaked, or worse, that Luther had somehow obtained it using underhanded means. Otherwise, there was no way he could repeatedly present the exact results I had worked so hard to develop.

So, this time, I decided to shut the lab down completely—no access, no exceptions. I wanted to see if he could still "coincidentally" come up with the same results without anyone feeding him information.

For five straight days, Jason and I worked in isolation, pouring every ounce of energy into the project. With zero interference, we pushed ahead in the R&D phase. Finally, we succeeded. We developed a concept model of the intelligent robot, capable of distinguishing voices, identifying hosts from guests, and processing unfamiliar speech with adaptive response. It was a real breakthrough.

When I opened the lab door, exhausted but relieved, I was ready to show everyone what we had achieved. But instead of admiration, I was met with mockery and smirks.

My chest tightened. A sense of unease crept over me.

Then came Luther’s smug voice. “Team Leader Cole, I just released the data from this development stage. Don’t you think it’s a bit late to present it now? In science, it’s not just about hard work—it’s about efficiency.”

I froze. Shock flooded through me. I looked around and saw a few colleagues who had once supported me now avoiding my gaze. Some looked at me with pity. Others didn’t bother hiding their scorn.

How? The lab had been sealed. The data had been generated solely through the experiments Jason and I had performed. There had been no chance of any leak. Yet somehow, Luther had still released the same numbers—down to the decimal point.

I was completely dumbfounded.

Then, as if delivering the final blow, Luther chuckled and waved to the group. “You’ve all worked hard. Let’s celebrate tonight at The Mill Bar—no one goes home until they’re drunk!”

“Junior Brother, it’s not us who worked hard—it’s all you! We should be the ones thanking you!” someone said eagerly.

“You’re too humble. We’re a team, right? My success is everyone’s success,” he replied, throwing me a condescending glance.

Then he added with a smirk, “Team Leader, you called me yesterday asking for the data, and I sent it over out of courtesy. I know you want to contribute, but talent is a gift. No matter how jealous you are, you can’t fake it or take it.”

His words struck like daggers. My mind was spinning. Then I heard her voice—my girlfriend, Claire Bennett.

“Ethan Cole, as the team leader, how could you use your authority to pressure others for results?” she snapped. “I told you Luther has real talent, but you ignored him.”

She looked at me as if I were nothing more than an embarrassment. “You’re making such a big scene just to take credit for someone else’s work?”

I opened my mouth to speak, to defend myself, but she cut me off coldly.

“Enough. I’ve seen what you’re capable of—or rather, what you’re not. If I’d known this, I wouldn’t have recommended Junior Brother for the project.”

Then, as if delivering a final verdict, she said, “From now on, let Junior Brother Luther take full charge of the R&D. You can assist where needed.”

Cheers erupted around them. Everyone gathered around Luther, showering him with praise and laughter.

I stood there, alone, drowning in silence.

Grabbing my hair in frustration, I felt as if my thoughts were collapsing in on themselves. I couldn’t figure out how he got the data—unless he had used some underhanded, possibly even technological means to steal it.

From that moment forward, everything changed.

No one respected me anymore. The staff no longer spoke politely. Even Mr. John, our project head, began to treat me coldly. If it weren’t for my father’s reputation and connections, I was certain he would have already removed me from the position of team leader.

But this time, I would not let it end the same way. I had been given a second life—for a reason.

And I wasn’t going to waste it.

“Luther’s reputation as an intelligent tech genius has spread across the industry. Tons of big-name CEOs are fighting to poach him.”

“Talented people shine no matter where they go—unlike certain individuals who just use family ties to get ahead.”

Their words stung like needles. I buried myself at work, thinking about intelligent robot development day and night. But no matter how hard I tried, my progress was always overshadowed by the spotlight cast on Luther. All my efforts ended up being ridiculed, dismissed as desperate attempts to keep up.

It didn’t stop with the R&D team. Luther’s "genius" status soon captured society’s attention. The media hailed him as the future of tech. Schools invited him to speak. Corporations sought his endorsement. Meanwhile, my family’s enemies seized the moment to stir up public opinion.

“You claim your son’s an expert in robotics? What a joke. He just leeches off others’ research.”

“Some people will do anything to make money. It's disgusting. The ones who truly work hard get nothing, while crooks walk away with all the credit.”

With public sentiment turning vicious, Luther strolled through his new fame like a seasoned celebrity, shaking hands with CEOs and giving speeches at universities as if he’d built this empire from scratch.

But after sleeping for a full day and night, an idea struck me like lightning.

Luther, let’s see how far your ‘genius’ really goes.

The next morning, I announced that our R&D project was officially entering the third stage. I rejected any external assistance once again and brought only Jason into the sealed laboratory.

For the first three days, Ji and I conducted our work normally—calculating formulas, running simulations, and performing demonstrations. Everything was tightly controlled and secured. Then, on the fourth day, I deliberately halted the real research. Instead, I wrote a completely fake dataset, one that followed the same logic but contained fabricated conclusions. Meanwhile, I memorized the real results and stored nothing on our systems.

When I finally opened the lab door with the decoy data in hand, Luther and several others were already waiting in the hallway, smiling as if they knew what was coming.

My colleagues quickly snatched the documents from my grasp and rushed to compare them with what Luther had apparently just produced. I crossed my arms, watching calmly. This time, I thought, he wouldn’t be able to explain away the discrepancies.

But then, their faces began to twist. Instead of looking suspiciously at Luther, they turned their eyes toward me with confusion and quiet disappointment.

That’s when Luther stepped forward with his trademark arrogance and glanced at my false report. He gave a theatrical sigh, then smirked.

“Team Leader Cole… are you kidding me with this data set?” he said mockingly. “I just finished writing the exact same thing a minute ago. But clearly, you didn’t have access to it—so you decided to make up nonsense just to keep up.”

He emphasized every word with deliberate cruelty.

“I didn’t expect you to fall this far. You can’t even produce a single useful result.”

I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. My mind reeled.

Those numbers—they matched the ones I had only thought through in my head. I never documented them. How could he possibly know?

I clenched my fists. Rage boiled over.

Grabbing him by the collar, I shouted, “Luther! What kind of trick are you playing? How do you know the data I only calculated in my head?”

Smack!

A sharp slap landed on my cheek.

It was Claire—my girlfriend.

Her eyes blazed with disgust. “Ethan, haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough? Why can’t you just admit you’re incompetent?”

“Stealing others’ work—don’t you feel even a shred of shame?”

I stared at her in disbelief. We had once shared dreams, discussed artificial intelligence late into the night, and talked about transforming the future together. She knew my methods. She knew I’d never stoop to plagiarism.

But still, she chose to stand beside Luther.

Her betrayal was absolute.

I looked around at the hostile faces, the judging eyes, the teammates whispering with contempt.

I felt ice crawl through my veins.

Everything was unraveling. Chaos swirled around me. The truth felt more distant than ever. I couldn’t see a way forward.

My chest ached. My mind clouded. But then—a sliver of clarity.

If I were going to survive this, I’d have to take a risk.

To live, I must die first.

I inhaled deeply, forcing the fury down, forcing my thoughts to sharpen.

It was time to outplay them all.

“Since I’m so unbearable to all of you, I’ll resign now and withdraw from the R&D team.”

My voice was calm, but my heart was already shattered. My family owns assets worth tens of millions—why should I waste my time competing with a group of short-sighted fools?

Ideals are important, yes. But my parents' lives are far more precious. I wanted to see how far Luther, the so-called genius, could take the project without me.

As soon as news of my resignation broke, my colleagues began to sneer.

“Now he’s running away after getting exposed. What happened to your pride, Team Leader Cole?”

“Must be nice to be rich—stealing others' work and leaving when things get tough.”

“Let’s recommend Junior Grant as the new team leader. He’s efficient, and we won’t have to work so hard anymore.”

“He’s been holding us back this whole time. If it weren’t for him, Luther would’ve completed the R&D already!”

They had made up their minds. To them, I was a fraud who clung to his position through wealth and deceit. No one considered the possibility that I was telling the truth. They humiliated me without remorse and couldn’t wait for me to disappear.

Even Claire, my girlfriend—someone who once dreamed with me of a shared future—didn’t defend me. Instead, she fanned the flames.

“Ethan, I’ve told you countless times to focus on real work and stop depending on others,” she said coldly. “But you just won’t listen.”

“Since you refuse to change and still have the nerve to act shameless, let’s break up. I, Claire, don’t need a fake boyfriend.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. Looking into her indifferent eyes, I realized the woman I once cherished was long gone.

“Alright. I agree,” I said without hesitation.

She looked stunned. After all, I had always loved her deeply. I had even argued with my parents on her behalf. I never understood why my parents disliked her. They used to say her eyes were too calculating, her features too sharp—not the kind of woman fit to be a wife.

But I dismissed them, thinking they were being snobbish. She came from an orphanage, and I assumed they just didn’t want someone with no background. To prove them wrong, I brought her into this research project, hoping to show them that she was capable, driven, and the right woman to stand by my side.

Now, I realized they had seen something I hadn’t.

Soon after, Mr. John, the project organizer and my relative, arrived and spoke with a sigh.

“Nephew, since things have turned out this way, maybe it’s better to step back and rest for a while. You can go home and refocus.”

I chuckled inwardly. He had once begged me to join this project, but now he questioned my ability and asked me to leave without a second thought.

Just as I was about to walk out, Luther grabbed my arm.

“Team Leader Cole! The project is at a critical stage—how can you walk away now?”

“I know you blame me for not listening to you, but we’re all working toward the same goal. Even if you lack technical strength, you can still help push the project forward.”

“You can stay on as my assistant. It’s still a valuable role, and it’ll benefit us both.”

I shook him off, disgusted. “Luther, heaven is watching. I truly hope your success doesn’t come with a price.”

With that, I walked away without looking back.

As I stepped out of the building, my phone rang. It was my father.

“Ethan, what’s going on? Mr. Warren just called, saying you resigned... and that you were accused of plagiarizing your teammates?”

I softened my tone and reassured him, “It’s just a misunderstanding, Dad. I’ll explain everything when I get home.”

When I arrived at our villa, my parents were already at the door, waiting anxiously. Their worried eyes met mine, and the memory of their tragic death in my previous life returned—crushed beneath wheels, their bodies beyond recognition.

My heart cracked. I couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears streamed down my face.

My mother pulled me into her arms gently.

“Enough, son,” she said with a pained smile. “We have money. You don’t need to fight them anymore. Let them figure it out themselves.”