Mr. Zed's face twisted in a desperate attempt at recovery. He suddenly scoffed, forcing a shaky laugh that echoed awkwardly across the silent schoolyard. "I... I was just teasing the boy, General," he stammered, his voice cracking despite the effort to sound jovial. "Playing around, you know how it is. In fact, I'm here to thank him for dealing with my son yesterday. Jerry deserved that lesson."Marshall Henry didn't even blink. His expression remained stone-cold, fury simmering just beneath the surface like a storm about to break. The general's voice cut through the air like a blade. "Your son lost fair and square, and you dare come here to bully the opponent? On school premises, no less. Wow. What an effrontery."Mr. Zed's knees buckled slightly. He bowed deeply, hands clasped in front of him like a supplicant. "Please forgive me, sir. I know I am wrong. I let my emotions get the better of me. It won't happen again."But even as he pleaded,. Mr. Henry straightened just enough to add

Emma slowly looked Riley's group over from head to toe before letting out a contemptuous laugh."Look at all of you," she said mockingly. "Your clothes are so cheap. This is one of the biggest technology events in the entire state, yet you shamelessly walked in dressed like this. Don't you feel embarrassed standing among respectable people?"Dennis folded his arms with a smug grin."I've seen better outfits at roadside markets."Several nearby guests turned toward the commotion.Mira frowned."I honestly don't know what your problem is," she said. "What we wear is none of your concern. We came here to support Riley, not to impress people like you. So why don't you just leave us alone?"Emma's smile disappeared."Oh?" she sneered. "Sounds like someone is getting insecure."She took a slow step closer."The truth hurts, doesn't it? Deep down, all of you know you don't belong here. Look around."She stretched out her hand toward the luxurious hall."Everyone here comes from influential f

The man turned to face Dennis, studying him with an appraising smile. "Seems like we have someone with great potential here," he said, loud enough for the crowd to hear. "Perhaps even the wealthiest knowledge in the room tonight."Dennis smiled, puffing out his chest. He believed he knew this wine — someone had once gifted it to his father, and he himself had tasted it from that very bottle, years ago."So," the man continued, "can you name it for us? And tell us its features and its taste?" He paused, softening his tone. "But if you don't recall the taste, that's alright too. Do you at least know the name?"Dennis felt every eye in the hall settle on him. He puffed out his chest even further."In fact," he said, "I will name what it tastes like for you."The man grinned. "Go on. And this shall become yours."Dennis smiled slowly. "Okay. The taste of this particular wine begins with dragonfruit. That faint sweetness, almost floral, right at the front of the tongue."The man's eyebrows

The elderly man smiled warmly as he walked toward Riley, his polished leather shoes echoing softly across the silent hall. Every guest instinctively stepped aside to make way for him. Stopping beside the vendor, he turned to face the crowd before introducing himself. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jacob Verrell. I am one of the fourth-generation descendants of Corwin Verrell, the inventor of this wine. My family still possesses the original recipe, and to this day, we are the only ones authorized to produce the authentic Verrell Meridian."A wave of astonished murmurs spread throughout the hall."The Verrell family?""My goodness...""No wonder he knows so much."Mr. Jacob smiled before turning back to Riley. "I came here today because I wanted to see whether people still appreciated and respected my family's legacy." His eyes shone with satisfaction. "Listening to you explain the history of this wine made me happier than I can express. Every detail you mentioned was accura

Dennis walked confidently toward the stage with his chest puffed out, completely ignoring the strange looks people were giving him. Although many of the guests were still whispering about the humiliation he had suffered over the wine, he wasn't bothered in the slightest. In his mind, everything would change in the next few minutes. Once they saw what he had created, no one would remember his earlier embarrassment.He accepted the microphone with a confident smile and glanced around the packed hall before speaking. "Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Dennis Wales, and today, I'm here to present an advanced AI Disaster Response Prediction System."The hall instantly became quiet.One of the judges frowned. "An AI Disaster Response Prediction System?"Dennis nodded proudly. "Yes. It is an intelligent platform capable of analyzing satellite images, weather conditions, traffic density, emergency reports, and environmental data before a disaster occurs. Using artificial intelligence, it p