Chapter 22 : The weak Team taking over

"I'll be absent for two days," Mr. Warren III called to announce.

"And why's that?" Mr. Moon asked, concerned over the phone.

"I have to take care of something," Mr. Warren III replied.

….......…

"Yes, we can create a simple app, 'My People App,' for our company phones or any other phone, where users can download it," Mara suggested to her team. They exchanged intrigued glances, confused by her idea.

"How would that work?" Jose inquired.

"It's an app where you compose a message, you select all the groups you want to send it to, and with just one tap, boom! It's sent to everyone simultaneously," Mara explained.

"That sounds great," Eliana chimed in. "It would not only help expand our product but also make communication much easier for our users." Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Mara nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! By incorporating the people app into our current platform, we can provide our users with a smooth experience which will improve their connectivity and interaction."

The room buzzed as each of them contributed ideas as it flowed freely, discussing features, user experience, and potential partnerships.

"How about we offer exclusive access to the People app for our premium users, to make them feel special?" Anna suggested with a wink and smile. "It could be a value-added feature that sets us apart from the competition."

"And how about finding a way to make our existing users promote the People app?" Mara chimed in. "Perhaps we could incentivize referrals and create buzz through targeted marketing campaigns."

"I love it, I love it already!" Eliana exclaimed, jumping up and doing a little dance.

"Now, how do we make it happen?" Ciara asked, adjusting her glasses.

"That's when we come in. We are going to create this app ourselves," Mara said confidently.

"We're going to work on it now. We're already far behind," Mara said as they gathered around a table with laptops, notebooks, and endless cups of coffee. 

Minutes turned into hours and hours turned into nights as they poured their creativity and expertise into designing and developing the app. There were moments of frustration and setbacks, and they almost gave up, some workers even mocking them to quit before trying harder; they refused such negativity as they persevered forward driven by a desire for change...

They were seen moving up and down, carrying their laptops wherever they went, discussing among themselves at the launch table.

 Other team members also took their project seriously as they worked on their project

Finally, after two days of serious work, from early morning to late night, the app was ready to be presented. They gathered around in front of a computer screen, watching as they reviewed the app. After Mara typed a message and pressed send for the first time, they crossed their fingers with hope. 

Like magic, messages began to appear on the screens of their phones, sent to multiple groups effortlessly all at once. "We did it!" they shouted with excitement, tears of joy in their eyes.

.................

Presentation day...

On the day of the presentation, everyone got ready, pacing around and discussing, finalizing their whole project.

"I can't believe it's finally happening," Eliana murmured, excitement and nervousness mingling in her voice.

"We got this. I know we are going to make a change today," Mara said confidently. "We know our product inside and out, and we believe in what we've created," she added with a smile.

"Did I just hear them right? A messaging app for multiple groups? How original. Is that even going to bring profit to our company?" Kate said, followed by a mocking laugh.

 "I wonder how they did that. Total shame. I can't wait to see their faces when everyone starts laughing at them," Hannah said, gesturing mockingly. "Boo hoo, losers."

Eliana clenched her jaw with anger as Mara held her hand to calm her down. "Ignore them.

Go and focus on your team if you think you have something better to offer," Mara said.

"We've always had the best to offer. You don't have to tell us that. What are you talking about?" Kate said, folding her arms as they became more aggressive.

"It's always only because your team did not have any competitor, but this time I promise you, not only are we going to change things but also win. Those lame products you guys have worked on aren't going anywhere and don't even stand a chance" Eliana said through clenched teeth.

"You better watch your mouth," Kate warned as she pushed Eliana down forcefully.

Mara crossed over and equally pushed Kate down. "How dare you," Mara said, pointing her hands out in fury. "Don't you even try that again?"

Sabi and Hanna rushed to help Kate up, while she seethed with fury. "We will see about that. Mark my words, your little app won't stand a chance against ours or even the other team. I will make your team lose," Kate said angrily, boiling over.

"Let's get out of here," she said, turning on her heel and walking away with her friends following closely behind.

.....

The members of Team B confidently took the stage, unfolding their innovation to everyone present.

Mara couldn't help but feel nervous as she watched them.

The room was commanded with authority by the team leader as he presented the essential objectives and significant features of their healthcare platform.

They showcased everything on the screen for everyone to see how things can be.

"If we tap into this market, we can reach out to new customers, thereby expanding our potential, which is driving growth and positioning the company for long-lasting success in the dynamic healthcare market," he explained.

Nods of approval filled the air as everyone seemed to be drawn in by their objectives.

Team A claimed the stage shortly after Kate took control. Without wasting much time, she painted a vivid picture of a world where every aspect of home life was enhanced by their smart home automation system.

Together with her team members, they delved into the technical intricacies of the solution, highlighting its advanced features such as voice-activated appliances, individualized user profiles, and smart energy management.

They also showcased how their smart home automation system could make life easier. As they reached its climax, the room was filled with applause and everyone was impressed with their idea.

''Team A, never disappoint'', a man from the directors shouted with a clap

Kate threw a stern look at Mara across the room, a sly smile on her face.

After some time, Mara and her team nervously walked to the stage as it was their turn. She placed her PC down, ready to connect it to the projector for them to begin

After they introduced their product, everyone was eager to see how things would look like. With a sigh, Mara looked at her friends with a smile, as they were one tap away from showing what they were capable of.

As she clicked on the send button, instead of messages appearing on their phones, a video played.

Their faces changed as they furrowed their brows with confusion. It wasn't a video of their app in action, but instead, it was a video of themselves sitting idly, doing nothing.

"Haha, they're trying to tell us that the name 'the weak team' fits them just right," Kate shouted, as everyone started to laugh.

"What is this? Where is the original video?" her team members whispered as they surrounded the computer screen looking tense.

"This team has no seriousness and respect. How can you represent this?" one director said as he stood up. Everyone in the room started bashing them up, while Mara was on the verge of crying. Her hands trembled on the mouse as she tried searching for it.

"The video is gone," Eliana said, her heart beating as she glanced down at the half-angry and half-mocking people staring at them.

"Did we do all this just to be disgraced?" she uttered, her breath catching up in her throat, as she equally leaned closer, trying to get answers.

Kate winked at Mara when their eyes met, grinning mischievously.

 "I warned you to be careful with me," she murmured in her head.

As a memory took her away.

she scanned around the room, making sure no one was coming. She tiptoed and hurriedly went straight to the laptop Team C had finalized their app on. Somehow, she managed to get access to the PC. Without waiting much time, she deleted it right after the app popped up. She inserted her pen drive and did whatever she had to do.

"Yes!" she shouted with excitement and slowly went out like she had come inside while ensuring that there was no trace of her presence. As the memory faded away, she looked at them, still smiling.

''Glad i took that video'', she uttered.

"What is all this about?" Mr. Moon reached the stage to question.

"Our video is gone," Mara said, her heart beating fast as her gaze remained locked on the screen.

"How is that?" he asked, getting closer. "We can't keep everyone waiting, Mara," he said firmly but apologetically. "We need to announce the winner if your team doesn't have anything added."

"Please, can we get a few more minutes? We need to figure out how to get it back," Mara pleaded with a shaky voice.

Without waiting much time, she pulled her team to the other side, whispered something to them, and rushed out of the room.

Eliana took over as she slowly began to reintroduce their project again, with screenshots being displayed on the screen.

"Why is she going over it again?" one director said.

"Sir, please, we are trying to make things clearer," Eliana said, forcing a smile through her tense feelings.

"What's clearer more than this? Your team has nothing to offer," the man replied.

With her hands shaking as she coded on the PC, her whole body began trembling as she looked at the time. She sped up, her hands sweating, her heart beating rapidly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I can't let my team lose. I can't disappoint them," she said in sobs while still typing.

"I think we need to declare the winner already. We don't have much time here," another man said.

Mr. Moon being unable to do anything, walked back to the stage to take over.

Then suddenly, a message popped up on each of their phones all at once.

"So this is what 'My People App' would be like making things easier for our tech companies," Eliana jumped in.

She smiled when she got a video notification on WhatsApp. Without waiting much time, she played it.

"This is brilliant! I had this planned in mind and wanted to raise it in one of our conference meetings," one director said as she stood up and began clapping her hands. "I think the winner for this year's project is clear," she added while still smiling.

Mara rushed back to the hall, catching her breath. She saw her team on the stage as they were being handed the first position. Tears welled up in her eyes as she slowly walked her way up.

"The second team this year would be none other than Team B," the host declared.

"We did it, Mara! We did it! We are no longer the weak team," Eliana said as they did a group hug.

With Kate almost on the verge of fainting, she stormed out of the room.