# Chapter 33
I froze. Wasn't that the proposal I submitted just yesterday?
"It was me." I spoke up, glancing at the gloomy manager. I couldn't let the girl face this alone, could I? But why did he seem so angry? Was this proposal really that terrible?
"You did it alone?" The manager's voice was practically grinding his teeth.
I glanced at Yang Xin. She had her head bowed low, her body trembling slightly. *Poor girl, she must not face managers like this often.* But was the manager really that scary right now? Okay, fine, he did seem furious and his expression was dark, but the level of fear... it didn't even come close to a single look from Shangguan.
I discovered another benefit of living with Shangguan—improved psychological resilience. Look at me now: except for him, I'm not afraid of almost anyone. Does this count as another form of "one person under, ten thousand above"?
While my thoughts were wandering, the sound of the manager grinding his teeth reached my ears again.
I nodded. "Most of it was done by me." *Ah well, I'll just take full responsibility. Besides, it's basically the truth.*
"Then can you explain to me why your proposal is so similar to another team's?" With that, he tossed another document toward me.
Similar? I picked it up and couldn't help but widen my eyes. It was true. Except for some details, the entire concept was identical. The same hybrid product, the same thing involving football betting and Chinese mythology. This... this was way too similar. Even if we both had the same idea, how could it be this coincidental?
But if it wasn't coincidence, then it was... plagiarism?!
I stood there stunned. I didn't want to believe a colleague in the same office could do such a thing, but it seemed like the only possibility. And I've always been careless, never thinking about keeping things secret. Documents were often just left on the desk. Someone from the other team finding them... wouldn't be strange at all.
Wait. The manager called me and Yang Xin in together, and with this attitude—could he think *we're* the ones who plagiarized?
Just as I was about to speak, the manager glared and said, "This is indeed an interesting concept. Though a bit rough, it might pass the company's review. But no matter how interesting, it's not interesting enough for someone to plagiarize!" With that, his gaze cut toward me like a blade.
"I didn't plagiarize. This was my own idea!" Even if I'm an honest person, I'm not willing to accept such an accusation.
"Oh, so you didn't plagiarize. That means Zhao Han's team plagiarized *you*? Then why did the ones who 'plagiarized' submit their proposal a full week before you? Why were they faster?" The manager sneered.
I was confused too. This idea came together after that class reunion. Let me calculate—about twenty days ago. Then I spent another ten days gathering research, planning every detail. Meaning the proposal took shape at the earliest ten days ago. Finally, I spent another ten days perfecting, enriching, and finalizing it.
So Zhao Han's team simply didn't have time to copy—even if they had, there's no way they could have submitted a week earlier unless... they knew my general idea from the start.
I looked at Yang Xin again. Besides her, my teammate, I hadn't told anyone about this proposal. Not even Shangguan.
But could it be her? Weren't we on the same team? If there was suspicion of plagiarism, even if I was the one who did the work, it wouldn't benefit her either.
She was trembling even harder now, her face turned slightly away. Her gaze toward me was filled with pleading.
Pleading?
Pleading for what? Was it really her? But if it was unintentional, she should be explaining that to the manager now. Where did she say it? As long as it was at the company, someone could testify for her. Even without witnesses, she should speak up.
I was thoroughly confused. Her expression was full of pleading and guilt.
Guilt?! My mind went *whoosh*, and suddenly an image flashed through my brain.
"A-Yi really is an oddball."
"Hehe, that's honesty. So cute..."
"Oh, am I not cute?"
"You're bad, not cute..."
Zhao Han! That man was Zhao Han! It was indeed Yang Xin who said it, but she wasn't speaking unintentionally. She was talking to Zhao Han from the other team!