He gave me complete freedom in technical decisions, and in private, he would often pat me on the shoulder, half joking, half serious, saying to others, "If only Darlene were half as steady and capable as Harold. Honestly, I'd feel at ease handing both her and the company to him someday."
At that time, Darlene was still studying abroad, and everyone took his words as nothing more than a lighthearted remark.
But to me, his recognition and trust were a source of strength—they made every hardship worthwhile.
However, fate was cruel.
Mr. Schmidt passed away suddenly from illness. Darlene hurried back from overseas, armed with a few years of business and arts education, to take over the company.
At first, she was polite, even respectful—she sought my advice on major technical decisions. But gradually, things began to change.
She introduced a new style of management that emphasized attitude, dedication, and corporate culture, replacing the old pragmatic focus on technology and results.
Now, how pretty the presentation slides looked, whether the desk light was still on after hours, or how enthusiastically the employees joined team-building events—these superficial displays started to matter more to her than the tangible results that her father had once cared about.
I was too absorbed in the pursuit of technology itself to notice the shift at first.
Until the five million bonus incident hit—a thunderclap that finally woke me up.
Darlene didn't want a battlefield-tested technical leader. She wanted a "model employee" who fit her new philosophy of management. And Lester, with his polished words and carefully crafted humility, was exactly that.
After a month of rest, I started browsing job websites, updating my resume, and submitting applications to several leading tech firms.
With my background and skills, I thought finding a new position would be easy. But my applications vanished without a trace.
The few interviews I did get turned cold right after the technical round—vague promises, polite rejections, then silence.
After several setbacks, a former colleague finally told me the truth in private.
"Harold, it's not that your skills aren't good enough... Someone's been spreading rumors about you—saying you're arrogant, steal credit from interns, and even got violent."
"Now a lot of companies see you as toxic."
At that instant, I understood.