Pampered By The Ruthless Underground Boss

Chapter 355:

Here was Barlow, a senior researcher at the prestigious Origin Company, going head to head with Khloe, a rising star from the medical field. Yet, despite his experience, he could never get the upper hand. Each time, it ended in a draw.

All eyes were now on Khloe and Barlow.

The fact that the two kept drawing with each other quickly caught the attention of the head judge, Whitney.

“Ms. Dayton, we have two contestants who keep drawing with each other, unable to finish this round. How should we proceed?”

Whitney looked over the contestants’ names on the list, her eyes glinting with curiosity. “Let them ask each other questions to determine the winner in one final round. But the person asking the question must know the answer; otherwise, they’ll be disqualified.”

Word of the competition format spread like wildfire, sparking a wave of excitement across the venue.

In all the years of the National Biopharmaceutical Competition, no one had ever seen participants questioning each other. This unexpected turn of events was a rare spectacle that everyone was eager to witness.

No one could resist pausing their work to watch the showdown between Khloe and Barlow. The tension was palpable.

At first, Barlow was taken aback by the announcement, but his surprise quickly turned into excitement.

It felt like fate was on his side. How could Khloe, a former celebrity and newcomer to the field, possibly stand a chance against his years of experience in biopharmaceuticals? If he could ask the first question, victory would be in the bag.

Barlow saw an opportunity to take control but pretended to be magnanimous, turning to Khloe with a sly grin. “Since you’re new to the industry, I won’t use my seniority to push you around. How about you show me some respect, and I’ll let you ask the first question? What do you think?”

His words dripped with mockery, clearly intended to provoke. From Khloe’s earlier encounter with Erma, Barlow knew she wouldn’t tolerate being disrespected. He was trying to humiliate her, but he had no idea how wrong he was.

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Khloe saw right through his attempt to provoke her. She’d dealt with enough people like Barlow to know exactly how to handle his petty games. Seeing his smug look, she smiled and said, “Sure, why not? I’ll take you up on your offer.”

Barlow’s face drained of color at her response. What was happening? Wasn’t Khloe supposed to be proud and standoffish? How could she possibly accept?

The head of Origin Company was starting to panic. While he doubted Khloe could outmatch Barlow, letting her ask the first question could change everything. He shouted from the back, “Barlow, this isn’t the time for your games!”

As Khloe prepared to speak up, Barlow, drenched in sweat, quickly intervened. “Wait, stop. I was just joking. Even if you agree to my offer, it won’t matter. I can’t let you do it.”

Khloe’s voice dripped with disdain. “Of course, I knew it wouldn’t work. Did you really think I’d fall for that? I was just playing along to see how far you’d take it. It’s pathetic—boasting like that and then backing down. You should be embarrassed.”

Her words triggered a ripple of laughter from the researchers around them. The mocking laughter only fueled Barlow’s fury. He had always used his seniority to push around newcomers, especially women. Never had a woman humiliated him like this.

How dare Khloe make a fool of him in front of so many people? He was determined to make her regret it in this round and, once the competition was over, leverage his connections to ruin her career in the industry. Barlow shot Khloe a glare full of malice. “I was going to go easy on you because of your looks, but now? Just wait.”noveldrama

“If your research skills matched your bragging skills, you’d probably be the top researcher in the country, if not the world,” Khloe shot back with a deadpan expression. Her words landed with precision, sparking another round of laughter.

The researchers now found Khloe more interesting. They hadn’t realized it, but the fear they’d once felt toward her—thanks to the earlier clash with Erma—had started to fade away.

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