The Rise of Damien Whitlock

Chapter2

The Challenge Within

Damien had seen a tech. Hub through the car window. He's heard of Top Innovator times without count, but not where it was situated.

He thought of making inquiries from there and working as an intern so he could save his income and grow from there.

“Good day, please who do I meet to make inquiries?”

Damien had met the director of the company- Jaxon Foster who is the best and most active worker that no one had ever defeated in over thirteen years of his work in the company.

“Does this place look like a charity foundation hub? Didn't you see we render technological services here? Maybe you lost your glasses.”

All members of the staff laughed out loud.

“I made a mistake, how could a tattered-looking person like you even afford a spectacle?” Jaxon continued the bully.

“No, I'm not a beggar, I just wanted to know if there's a vacancy for an intern,” Damien responded softly.

Everyone was surprised and, at the same time, laughed as though his response was funny.

“Tell your Boss to come in person, if he wants to discuss this,” Jaxon said.

They had needed an intern to work with them as they've got loads of work in their neck, yet haven't found a competent person to work with them.

“No one sent me here; I'm the one who wants to work as an intern….” Before Damien could complete his statement, Jaxon had hissed and called security to take him out.

Just at that moment, the CEO of the company- Ethan Caldwell, walked in, and all he could hear was “intern,” he was in dire need of up to five workers who could work as an intern, but all applicants seen so far were not fit for the available task.

“What's the issue? Why's the security here? Who's this young man?” Ethan asked authoritatively.

“Welcome Sir.” The security greeted him with a shun.

“Yes Sir, this man here….” While Jaxon was about to explain the matter to him in a bow, Ethan cut him off.

“Yes, I heard “intern,” Does he want to work here?”

“Yes Sir,” Jaxon replied instantly.

“Give him the tests, including “Everest,” Ethan commanded and worked confidently to his office.

“Everest” in the company means the most difficult task they've been working on for more than two and half months, yet, unable to proffer solutions to it. The word is used among the staff so that newbies or visitors cannot relate.

“I'll do that right away Sir.” Jaxon Foster said in a bow. Immediately, he turned to Damien.

“Follow me,” Jaxon ordered Damien.

Everyone had minded their business and focused their gaze on the computer when Ethan arrived.

“Work on these two tests in twenty-five minutes; if you're not done, you'll be disqualified.”

This is the same task Jaxon gave another applicant to work on for a minimum of an hour. He intentionally reduced the duration drastically for Damien because he was scolded by his Boss because of him.

“Yes, Sir, I'll try,” Damien replied, and immediately, he held the mouse and began to work on the computer. In thirteen minutes, Damien had completed the task.

“I'm done,”

Jaxon wasn't amazed; there were other boastful applicants like that that finished before time, although not as fast as Damien, but eventually, their work was trash. He expected the same from Damien.

“How come?” Jaxon said surprisingly as he was scrolling through Damien's work. He had done everything perfectly with no errors.

Jaxon didn't want to seem amazed so as not to catch the attention of other staff whom he degraded Damien in their presence.

“Okay, you're not done; there's another task left for you; the time frame for this is just twenty minutes. The final stage is what guarantees your employment, not just the simple “ABC” you've done” Jaxon ridiculed his effort.

Having succeeded in the first two tasks, an applicant is guaranteed employment, the last task is the “Everest” just to see if they could find someone to proffer a lasting solution to it.

Jaxon didn't want him in the company and had thought when he failed “Everest,” it'd be an opportunity for him to lay him off. A task that all members of staff, including the CEO had done times without count, yet, all proved abortive. He had given Damien alone to solve it in just twenty minutes.

Damien sat in front of the computer once more, the room was thick with anticipation, the other staff occasionally stealing glances while pretending to work. “Everest,” the toughest task in the company, had bested even the most experienced engineers.

The idea that an intern—especially one who had been ridiculed moments earlier—could solve it was laughable. Damien began typing, his fingers flying across the keyboard. Jaxon stood behind him, expecting failure.

In fifteen minutes, Damien was still battling with the assignment given; he was sweating profusely already, as he didn't want to lose the job. Two minutes left, and he was still on it. Then, Jaxon was glad that he wouldn't have a rival in the company.

“Is he doing well on the first test?” Ethan had come out to check through his staff work when he remembered an intern was sitting for a test.

“Yes Sir, he's done,” Jaxon replied.

“So quickly, done with the first task?” He moved closer to see what Damien was doing & realized it was “Everest”.

“He's on the third task; in how many minutes did I just leave here?” Ethan was agape.

All staff focused on the direction of the CEO.

“This is unbelievable!”

Everyone was surprised to see the CEO because he's barely amused by situations, no matter how exceptional they may be. Ethan had left immediately to sort some things in his office.

“The new guy must have been doing well”. One of the staff whispered to another.

At exactly twenty minutes, Damien stopped typing. "I'm done." Jaxon couldn’t believe his ears. He yanked the mouse from Damien and began inspecting the work, line by line, code by code.