The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 189

"Lavinia, get in here," Jocelyn Chandler ordered from her office.

Lavinia grabbed her notepad and scurried inside.

Jocelyn pushed a massive stack of corporate dossiers across the desk. "The final assessment for your batch of junior analysts is scheduled for two weeks from now. This is your prompt: Draft a comprehensive investment valuation report on this company."

Originally, the Industry Research Department had three junior analysts. However, Howard Denton and Jacqueline Abbott had already been fired. Lavinia was the last one standing for the final round.

She would be competing directly against the three analysts from the Quantitative Research Department for just two permanent spots.

If she failed, the entire Industry Research Department would lose face.

Jocelyn kept her tone dangerously even. "For this assessment, you will be going head-to-head with Chester Coleman from Quant."

"We're analyzing the same pharmaceutical company?" Lavinia asked.

"Yes. Renova Biosciences. You'll write a qualitative investment valuation report from an industry perspective, and he will build a quantitative data model."

Jocelyn paused for a fraction of a second. "The chairman is personally keeping an eye on this project. Make sure the report reads beautifully."

Lavinia immediately understood the subtext. In the investment world, making a report "read beautifully" meant glossing over the flaws and ensuring it got a green light.

It was a practice she fundamentally despised.

Jocelyn shot her a sharp look. "Mr. Coleman has deep ties with the founder of Renova Biosciences. Keep that in mind."

"Understood," Lavinia replied.

***

Lavinia went to the cafeteria late that day. There wasn't much food left, so she grabbed two simple sides and sat down alone in a corner, eating quietly.

Across the room, the three junior analysts from the Quantitative Research Department were huddled at a table, whispering among themselves and constantly throwing smirking glances her way.

Lavinia ignored them completely.

After a few minutes, Chester Coleman picked up his tray, strolled over, and sat down directly across from her.

"Hey, Lavinia. I've heard a lot about you. I'm Chester, junior analyst over in Quant."

"They handed us a company with deep ties to the boss. All we have to do is write a glowing, brain-dead hype piece, and we're both guaranteed a pass. If that's not a free ride, what is?" Chester grinned.

Lavinia pressed her lips together. "But this valuation report will have real-world impacts on the market. Furthermore, this is a pharmaceutical company. People's lives are on the line."

Chester gave her a condescending, meaningful look. "Med students are always so rigid. In the world of finance, the only thing that matters is ROI. Nobody cares about right or wrong."

He waved a hand dismissively. "I was hoping we could be friends, but clearly, you're not buying what I'm selling. Fine by me. You write your report, and I'll write mine."

He picked up his tray and sauntered back to his own table.

The three Quant juniors kept glancing over at Lavinia, whispering to one another and bursting into sarcastic fits of laughter.

Lavinia finished her meal, cleared her tray, and headed straight back to her department.

While the rest of her colleagues were taking their lunch break, Lavinia booted up her laptop and began thoroughly investigating Renova Biosciences.

Renova was an innovative biotech firm focused on anti-tumor medications. Their flagship product was a small-molecule targeted therapy that supposedly showed miraculous efficacy against liver and pancreatic cancers.