Mira's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Riley.She had expected him to defend himself, perhaps by explaining his design or presenting some documents. But claiming he could reproduce the first five hundred lines of the program from memory was something else entirely.Around her, the reactions were no different. "Five hundred lines?""That's insane.""Who can possibly remember that much code?""I've been programming for years, and I couldn't even remember fifty."Even several software engineers seated among the audience exchanged doubtful glances.Mr. Jacob slowly adjusted his glasses before looking at Riley with a serious expression."Young man," he said, "even if you are the one who originally wrote this software, recalling five hundred consecutive lines of code is almost impossible. Programming isn't like memorizing a speech. It involves syntax, logic, variables, and countless details."Many people nodded."Exactly.""Nobody has that kind of memory.""I don't believe it."R

Dennis muttered under his breath and gulped repeatedly. His mind raced frantically as he searched for some miracle that could save him. Backing down now wasn't an option. If he gave up without even trying, everyone would know he had confessed without saying a single word.Taking a deep, shaky breath, he slowly walked back to the computer. He reopened the project and stared at the source code, hoping that if he looked long enough, he might somehow figure out where the problem was. His trembling fingers rested on the keyboard, but they refused to move.The silence inside the auditorium became suffocating.Minutes passed. Dennis remained frozen in front of the computer. His fingers hovered over the keys, but he couldn't bring himself to press a single one. He didn't know where the authentication process was. He didn't know where the backend connection was configured. He didn't even know which files controlled the prediction engine.Everything Riley had asked him about earlier suddenly b

The following morning, the entire university seemed to be talking about Riley..News of what had happened during the competition had spread throughout the campus overnight. From the lecture halls to the cafeterias, students could be heard discussing how Dennis had stolen another person's project and how Riley had exposed him in front of everyone.By the time Riley walked through the school gates, countless pairs of eyes turned toward him.Some students whispered among themselves while others openly smiled at him. A few even walked over just to shake his hand."Congratulations, Riley.""You were amazing yesterday.""I watched the whole thing. That was incredible."Riley simply smiled politely and thanked them one after another.He knew very well that these people weren't congratulating him because they suddenly liked him. They were congratulating him because everyone now believed his accident prediction project had a bright future. If the project was successfully commercialized, his fu

Nearly twenty minutes later, the fire department finally brought the blaze under control.Fortunately, the flames had been discovered early enough. Although a section of the laboratory had been badly damaged, the fire hadn't spread to the surrounding classrooms. The firefighters carefully checked every corner of the building to ensure there were no hidden flames before declaring the area safe.Even so, the investigation and cleanup took nearly two hours.Only after everything had settled down were the students instructed to gather at the assembly ground.Soon, hundreds of students stood in neat rows, whispering nervously among themselves.Teachers lined both sides while the damaged laboratory remained sealed off behind them. A few moments later, Mr. Jude slowly stepped onto the stage.Principal Paul followed closely behind him, along with several senior teachers. The entire assembly immediately fell silent.Mr. Jude looked across the crowd before speaking in a calm but authoritative v

Mr. Jude calmly walked through the private entrance, accompanied by several bodyguards.The hotel manager personally came forward to receive him before respectfully leading him upstairs.After passing through several private corridors, they finally stopped before a large VIP suite.The door was pushed open.The moment Mr. Jude stepped inside, every person in the room immediately stood up."Mr. Xander!""Mr. Jude!""Welcome!"Several middle-aged men hurried over with warm smiles, greeting him enthusiastically.The luxurious suite was filled with expensive wine, crystal glasses, and countless delicacies spread across a long table. Soft music played quietly in the background while several beautiful attendants stood by, ready to serveAll of them were the wealthy parents that have their children in the school and was already getting fed up of Riley. Mr. Jude nodded calmly before making his way toward the largest chair in the room.Only after he sat down did everyone else return to their