Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 347: Chapter 347

"Don't brush it off so fast. We've got our reasons, you know. To be honest, it's a bit awkward that none of us can quite keep up with you. But we really need your help to keep our lab on the up and up.
"If you can grab this opportunity, you'll earn your spot at the Clusian Institute of Science and Technology. Then we can all work together to make a difference for the country."
Zoe knew Joyce was sincere. The arrest incident had directly damaged Shawn's reputation with the top brass, and she'd been carrying this guilt. 'If I can use this opportunity to help restore his standing,' she thought, 'then the trip wouldn't be in vain.'
"Alright, I'm in," Zoe said.
Joyce exclaimed, "Really? I knew you wouldn't say no. I'll share this wonderful news right away. We'll be colleagues soon."
After hanging up, Joyce wasted no time spreading the news to her old friends. The news that Zoe intended to join the Clusian Institute of Science and Technology instantly set their elite group chat abuzz.
Kevin: [Joyce, you're simply amazing. You actually got our genius girl to join the research team just like that.]
Matthew: [What wonderful news! Clusia's tech has been running into bottlenecks these past few years, but I've got a hunch. With her on board, all our toughest problems will just fall into place.]
Desmond: [That's not all. Our research is sure to reach unprecedented heights. Who knows, we might even become world-leading.]
Everyone longed to see Clusia grow stronger, for only then could it truly shield its people and ensure their safety and prosperity.
Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the military inspection. The inspection would last three days, with the top brass coming to assess the unit's overall training, meticulously evaluating every aspect of the drills and exercises.
As the lead officer in charge of this military inspection, Shawn was completely swamped with work and hadn't contacted Zoe for three straight days.
Zoe seemed to enjoy the peace and didn't even bother reaching out to Shawn. Honestly, the two only looked like a couple when they were together. Once apart, each got busy with their own lives, nothing like those lovey-dovey couples who were joined at the hip.
Chase stood beside Shawn and whispered, "How about inviting Zoe one more time? Girls need to be coaxed. If you're not sincere, of course, she won't agree."
Shawn maintained a stern expression. "This is an official military inspection. If she doesn't want to come, so be it. I won't tolerate any disruptions during the inspection tour."
Chase rolled his eyes and said, "Keep being stubborn like this and you'll never get a wife."
Just then, a car pulled up and stopped right outside the barracks gates. Chase muttered in confusion, "Why is there only one car? And it doesn't even have military plates."
The car door swung open and a striking military figure stepped out briskly. Chase broke into a wide grin the moment he recognized her. "Look, it's Zoe!"
Zoe strode confidently up to Shawn and snapped to attention with a crisp salute. "Sir, Zoe reporting for duty."
Shawn frowned, "I thought you weren't coming?"
Zoe handed the invitation to Shawn. After reading it, he immediately understood; it was the Jelonsburg bigwigs pulling strings behind the scenes.
Zoe stood beside Shawn with a playful smile and teased, "What's wrong? Not happy to see me?"
Shawn stared straight ahead, his expression serious. "Looks like my pull isn't enough to get my own fiancée to show up."
Zoe couldn't help but laugh. That faintly jealous tone was so unlike Shawn; she could hardly believe it was coming from him. "No need to be jealous. I came here just for you," she said.
Zoe looked at him. "Even though you had those negative posts about us scrubbed from the internet, people are still doubting our relationship and reputation. That's why I'm here today—to set the record straight for you."