After I Was Fired for an Intern, My Boss Regretted It Dearly

To show off her hacking skills, intern Jess Lee sent out mass resignation letters in the name of the entire staff. The company group chat exploded.

The boss, Mr. Williams, sent a laughing emoji in the chat: Jess is really dedicated, and her tech skills are impressive! Everyone, no need to panic. Ill retract all the resignation letters. Afternoon tea is on me!

The chat erupted in celebration. Liam, the VP with a terrible sales record, seized the opportunity to joke: [Mr. Williams, Ive already sent my resignation. Am I really leaving?]

Mr. Williams replied instantly: [Liam, what kind of joke is that? Even if everyone else left, youd have to stay. I cant handle tonights client dinner without you to fend off the drinks!]

Watching the lively chat, I excitedly prepared to follow suit. But the page flickered, and my approval came through. It wasn't "retracted," but:

[Approved]

Out of a hundred employees, he kept ninety-nine, but he approved the resignation of me, the "old workhorse" who maintained the core architecture. Since Jess was a tech prodigy, and Liam was a trusted confidant for client dinners, there was no need for me, who only knew how to work, to stay and be an eyesore.

Before leaving, I casually revoked the authorization for my self-developed AI to protect the database.

By the time I sat in my new companys directors office, Mr. Williamss frantic calls for help had already begun.

The computer screen popped up with a message saying all resignation letters had been retracted. I scrolled to the bottom. Only my approval form said approved.

Sarah, the HR manager, slapped my resignation report onto my desk.

Mark, youre the only one in the whole company whose resignation was approved. What a shame, the annual bonus is being paid out in a few days. You probably wont make it.

My heart sank. I pleaded, Sarah, that $20,000 cant be cut. My family urgently needs that money for medical bills

She shrugged indifferently. Im just an employee. Youll have to talk to Mr. Williams and see if hes willing to give an old workhorse like you any consideration.

I hurried into Mr. Williamss office. He was fiddling with a cigar, waving his secretary out.

Mr. Williams, regarding my resignation approval, Id like an explanation.

Mr. Williams exhaled a puff of smoke, casually brushing me off.

Mark, we need to give opportunities to young people. You really cant keep up with the times.

He propped his feet on his desk, his tone sneering and sarcastic.

You want your annual bonus? Fine, I can retract your resignation, but

I forced out a question, my voice tight.

What are your conditions?

Mr. Williams let out a scoff, holding up five fingers.

Your rank drops to level 12, and your monthly salary will be paid at intern rates, $500. Consider it paid learning.

I stood there stunned, my head buzzing.

$500? When you begged me to join the company during startup, that wasnt the price.

Mr. Williamss expression instantly changed, his voice turning cold.

The company needs to streamline now. Its a privilege for you to stay. Take it or leave it.

I stood rooted to the spot, my palms sweating. My phone popped up with a hospital bill. My wife had been diagnosed with ALS; her daily hospital fees were a non-negotiable five thousand dollars. To get back that life-saving $20,000 annual bonus, I gritted my teeth and nodded in agreement.

As I walked out of the office, Mr. Williams made a public announcement.

Jess Lee is appointed as Technical Lead, with a Level 5 salary and benefits, effective immediately!

That income, which should have been mine, just landed in the lap of an intern. Liam, the VP, led the applause, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Jess is the future of our company! Everyone, learn from Lead Lee!

Afternoon tea was delivered to the office, and cheers erupted. Jess, carrying a bag of bubble teas, handed them out to everyone. When she got to me, she held up an empty bag and scoffed.

Oh, Mark, I didnt account for your share. Why dont you just have some tap water?

Liam chimed in from the side, spitting maliciously.

Interns should act like interns. You think youre getting afternoon tea?

I carried my worn laptop bag into the storage room, looking at the moldy peeling paint on the walls, and gave a self-deprecating laugh. I remembered the early days of the startup, when Mr. Williams and I huddled under server racks, sheltering from the rain. He had personally promised to split the empire, and that scene felt as if it were still before my eyes. Now, he was popping champagne with Jess, celebrating their success.

I wiped my face, my fingers flying across the keyboard. Since you want a genius, Ill revoke all underlying authorizations for my self-developed AI. I entered the command into the code terminal: Resignation means immediate deactivation. I said nothing, just coldly watched this absurd farce. This place, which treated people as less than human, didnt deserve the defense I had maintained for three years.

The next day, Jess was sitting at the core control console, laughing at a constantly error-reporting piece of code on the screen.

Oh my god, this kind of infinite loop bug has been here for three years? No wonder the system runs as slow as a turtle.

Her finger hovered above the enter key, a look of disdain on her face.

Im going to fix this bug. Delete it completely.

My scalp instantly prickled. I rushed over and grabbed her hand.

Stop! Thats not a regular bug; its a logical compromise made for compatibility with older hardware!

My throat was dry from urgency. I stared fixedly at her.

This bug, even though it reports errors, it forces other control units to run at a lower frequency. Delete it, and the system will overload and crash!

Jess flung my hand away, disdainfully dusting off her sleeve.

Mark, youre just bad at tech, you write bugs you cant fix, and then you make up terms like logical compromise to fool people?

The commotion grew, and Mr. Williams walked over, hands behind his back, his brows furrowed.

Whats all this noise? Cant a person have some peace and quiet in the morning?

I felt like I had grabbed a lifeline, pointing at the screen and explaining.

Mr. Williams, Jess is about to delete that load-balancing bug. This will cause a huge problem. We must stop her immediately!

Mr. Williams glanced at Jess, then at me, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. Jess immediately pouted, her eyes reddening.

Mr. Williams, Mark is just jealous of me. Fixing this bug will speed things up by at least 20%, but he doesnt want the company to progress.

The hesitation in Mr. Williamss eyes slowly disappeared. He turned to me, his gaze cold.

Mark, we need to give young people a chance to make mistakes. Dont always use your old ways to suppress them.

He patted Jesss shoulder.

Jess, go ahead and fix it. If anything goes wrong, Ill take responsibility.

I stood frozen in place, watching Jess press the enter key.

In an instant, all the indicator lights in the server room suddenly went out. The main server let out a muffled hum, and the screen immediately went black. The entire office area fell into a dead silence, with only the emergency lights casting a pale glow. Jesss face turned deathly pale, and she sprang up from her chair.

I I just deleted one line of code

The red dedicated phone on the desk suddenly rang, piercingly. It was the direct hotline from our major client, DragonCorp. Mr. Williams fumbled to answer the phone, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

Mr. Dawson Mr. Dawson, so early?

Mr. Dawsons furious roar came through the phone, loud enough for even me to hear.

William Smith! We received a red alert signal here! What in the world are you doing?!

Mr. Williamss legs were trembling with fear. He was about to explain when the main server behind him suddenly chirped. Power reconnected, the screen lit up again, and that glaring red alert disappeared. Jess pointed at the screen, shouting excitedly.

Its on! Mr. Williams! System reboot successful!

A line of large green characters flashed across the screen: [System logic optimization complete]. Jess impatiently hit enter, running a performance test. The progress bar zipped to the end, finally settling on an astonishing number.

[Current system overall operating efficiency: 30% improvement].

Mr. Williams let out a long sigh of relief, immediately adopting a fawning expression.

Mr. Dawson, a misunderstanding. We were performing a core technical upgrade just now. Its now complete.

He hung up the phone, pointing at the big screen, his face beaming with ecstasy.

See that? This is called breaking to build! A 30% speed increase!

Jess proudly lifted her chin, provocatively looking at me.

Mark, I wonder who was scaremongering just now. Does your face hurt?

Liam led the applause, shouting at the top of his lungs.

Jess is amazing! Unlike some people, who hog the toilet and dont do their business, always fear-mongering!

He glanced sideways at me, adding sarcastically.

This is called technical superiority, the difference between a genius and a waste!

The entire company erupted in cheers, everyone celebrating this so-called technical breakthrough. Only I knew that the seemingly perfect data flow was just the last gasp before collapse.

I returned to the storage room. My phone vibrated. It was a familiar number. When I answered, a headhunters respectful voice came through.

Mr. Green, Im the HR for Starlight Tech. How have you considered the job offer we discussed?

I looked at the jubilant crowd outside the door, who were popping champagne around Jess.

Joining is not a problem.

I lowered my voice, my tone calm.

But I still havent received my $20,000 annual bonus. Thats my hard-earned money.

The headhunter paused on the other end of the line, then said.

Understood. Well await your good news.

I hung up the phone and gave a self-deprecating laugh. William, since youve chosen your genius, Ill reclaim whats mine. Then, Ill watch your empire rise, and watch your empire fall.

On the third day morning, the final deadline for the handover. The company group chat suddenly exploded. News of the annual bonus hitting accounts flooded the screen, everyone celebrating that the amount was significantly higher than previous years. I scrolled through my bank SMS, my fingertips trembling as I stared at the string of numbers.

[Incoming: $2000.00]

Before I could catch my breath, my phone rang jarringly. It was the head of the emergency department at City Hospital. When I answered, the piercing alarm of a medical monitor came through the line.

Mr. Green, your wife suddenly went into respiratory arrest and is undergoing CPR!

The doctors anxious voice was like a thunderclap.

The situation is critical. We must perform an emergency tracheotomy immediately. Please deposit fifty thousand dollars for the surgery right away!

My head buzzed, and I almost dropped my phone.

Save her! Please, you must save her! Ill transfer the money immediately!

I hung up the phone, rushing frantically into Mr. Williamss office. Inside, Mr. Williams was stuffing a thick stack of cash envelopes into Jess Lees hands.

William! You have to give me that $20,000 commission! My wife is in critical condition!

I lunged at the office desk, my eyes bloodshot, my voice hoarse. Mr. Williams calmly sealed the envelopes, not even bothering to look up.

Mark, why are you shouting? That money has already been distributed to everyone.

He pointed at the cheering employees, self-righteously.

Jesss 30% speed increase, everyone worked very hard. This money should be awarded to the meritorious.

My whole body trembled uncontrollably, a rush of blood surging to my head.

Thats my life-saving money! How could you use it to win favor?

Mr. Williams suddenly laughed, grabbing my collar and roughly dragging me out of the office.

Come on! Everyone, stop for a moment!

He unceremoniously pushed me into the center of the office area, shouting loudly.

Mark says he wants back that $20,000 commission!

The entire room fell silent instantly. Dozens of eyes stared at me. Mr. Williams spread his hands, looking completely shameless.

Ive already given the money to everyone. If I give it to him, youll have to return the envelopes you just received.

He looked around, deliberately asking.

Do you agree?

Liam was the first to jump out, stuffing his envelope into his pocket, cursing at me.

Why should we? You want to claw back money thats already in our pockets?

Mark, youre too shameless, trying to fill your bottomless pit with everyones money?

With someone leading the way, the jeering instantly erupted. Jess, giggling, raised her hand and shouted loudly.

Mr. Williams, since Mark is leaving anyway, why not use the freed-up salary budget to give everyone a $500 monthly raise!

The entire room fell silent for a second, then erupted in thunderous cheers. Mr. Williams waved his hand, agreeing grandly.

Approved! Jess is so sensible, unlike some people who only take and never give.

I stood among the crowd, my heart feeling as if it had been pricked by needles. I remembered last year, when I led the team, working five days and four nights straight to overcome a critical issue, everyone sleeping in the server room. To fight for an extra two hundred dollars in hazard pay for my colleagues, I begged Mr. Williams for three days. Back then, he had smashed a cup and yelled at me, pointing his finger.

Mark! The company is in its startup phase, we dont have money! You need to understand my difficulties, dont always fixate on money!

Now, he was using my hard-earned money to buy loyalty, appearing incredibly generous.

Long live Jess! Lead Lee is our real benefactor!

The employees gazes at me instantly shifted from disgust to hatred. As if I were the sinner blocking their path to wealth.

Suddenly, a figure burst out of the crowd. It was Leo, whom I had personally mentored in coding.

Slap!

A loud slap landed squarely on my face. Leos face was flushed red, and he roared at me.

Mark! Get out! You almost cost us our raises!

You always acted so noble, turns out youre a bloodsucker trying to cut off everyones income!

I clutched my stinging cheek, looking in disbelief at the apprentice I had shielded countless times. Mr. Williams watched the scene, then leaned into my ear, his voice chilling.

See that, Mark? Thats human nature. Now youre the target of everyones scorn.

You were always the high-achieving student in school, and Ive disliked you for a long time.

Im manipulating you to make you, the genius, bow to me, the underachiever, for a mere pittance.

Before I could even react, Jess walked over, carrying a cup of scalding coffee.

Mark, still not awake?

Her hand trembled, and the brown liquid splattered directly onto my face and chest.

Oops, my hand slipped.

The burning sensation made me gasp, and coffee dripped down my chin onto the floor. The entire room erupted in laughter, whistles filling the air. Jess covered her mouth, a look of smug satisfaction on her face.

Are you awake now? Take your two thousand dollars and get lost.

Mr. Williams clapped his hands, delivering his final summary.

Mark, facts prove that your skills and character are inferior to Jesss.

He pointed at the main door, issuing a dismissal.

Ryder doesnt need a useless person like you who cant even fix a bug. You can safely get out.

From now on, this is Jess Lees domain!

A burning sense of humiliation consumed me. My fingernails dug deeply into my flesh, drawing blood. I wiped the coffee stains from my face, not saying another word. I didn't even spare them a glance. I turned and walked out the main door, behind me, unrestrained revelry.

In the corridor, I leaned against the cold wall and dialed a number I had saved long ago. The phone rang only once before it was answered.

This is Mark.

I kept my voice low, chillingly calm.

The Starlight Tech job offer, I accept.

The headhunters surprised voice came through the phone.

Excellent, Mr. Green! Salary and benefits will be double what we discussed. A $50,000 signing bonus will be in your account at any time.

I need the money, now.

No problem. Itll be in your card within ten minutes.

I hung up the phone, looking at the tightly closed company door, listening to the cheers inside. Cheer, cheer to your hearts content. This is your last moment of joy.

Through my phone, I entered a command into my personal terminal: Deactivate Sky Shield AI virus protection function. A red warning popped up on the screen: [Confirm deactivation? After deactivation, the system will lose AI virus protection functionality]. I pressed the confirm button.

Watching the error red dots gradually appearing on the screen, I let out a long breath. Your tower is about to collapse.

With the transfer successful notification sound, the fifty thousand dollar signing bonus instantly flowed into the hospital account. The head nurse hurried over, handing me the payment receipt, her face beaming.

Mr. Green, the money is in, and the best medication is being used. Your wifes condition is stable.

I glanced through the glass. My wife was sleeping peacefully. The anxiety in my heart finally settled.

Leaving the hospital, I headed straight for Starlight Tech. From the 88th-floor panoramic window, I looked out over the entire city. There was no musty smell here, no leaky pipes, only spacious, private offices. Mr. Chen himself brought me a hot cup of tea, offering it with both hands.

Mr. Green, the defense architecture relies entirely on you.

That you sounded like an echo from another life. At Ryder, I was the ridiculed outcast. Here, I was a valued guest, commanding a fifty thousand dollar signing bonus. I took a sip of tea, my fingers flying across the keyboard. With a press of the enter key, my self-developed Sky Shield AI system instantly covered Starlight Techs entire network.

At the same time, on the monitoring screen of my former company, Ryder, the data flow began to show eerie fluctuations. Without my AI suppression, the long-dormant King of Viruses awakened. Ryders old antivirus software, which had always operated under my AIs protection, never needed to work at full capacity. Now that my AI was gone, that fragile old antivirus software was forced to run at full load, only to find itself completely overwhelmed.

Even more ironically, the entry point for the virus was Jesss masterpiece. The day before yesterday, to show off her hacking skills, she wrote a script to automatically retrieve all employee resignation emails. She thought it was cool, a way to show she was more efficient than me. But she didnt understand that this unencrypted script had left a wide-open door for the virus. The virus, using the resignation email port, burrowed into the internal network like a mad dog.