?Chapter 334:


    She stepped forward behind the console and ced her hands on the keyboard. The camera zoomed in as she began her demonstration—confident and precise. The room fell silent as everyone watched her fingers fly across the keys. She didn’t even use the full ten minutes—just six—and wrapped the demo with a final keystroke that left the audience stunned.


    “She’s incredible,” someone whispered. “That was unreal. Pure skill.”


    “Both teams had tough topics,” another voice added, “but if the other group can’t match that performance, it’s game over.” The opposing team’s representative stepped forward.


    True to form, their presentation was clunky and unprepared. They struggled to exin the details and their democked coherence. When the ten minutes psed, thepetition officially closed. The audience buzzed with opinions, but to anyone paying attention, it was clear that Ste’s team had dominated.


    Despite tackling simr research topics, Ste’s execution stood on a whole different level.


    The host then took the stage. “Thank you all for participating. The results will be posted on our official website within the week. Please check back for updates. That concludes today’spetition. Thank you again for joining us.”


    As the judges filed out, Ste, Sandra and Elbert gathered their things, preparing to leave the stage. Before they could go, they came face-to-face with the rival team.


    Finnegan Dixon, one of their members, strode forward, arrogance dripping from his tone. “Get a good look at the real champions. Step aside.”


    Steughed, not kindly. “Champions?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “You mean the team that couldn’t even demonstrate thirty percent of their project?”


    Finnegan’s smile vanished. His jaw tightened. “That was a fluke. Everyone saw how solid we were during the defense. Stop pretending and admit you lost.”


    Ste crossed her arms, unimpressed. “You and I both know why our topics matched so closely. In research, it’s not just about how well you talk. It’s about execution. If you can’t deliver results, you can’t win.”


    The rival team stiffened—her words had clearly struck a nerve.


    “Says who?” one of them shot back. “You’re not one of the judges!”


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    “No,” Ste replied calmly, “but do you think the judges are blind? You really believe they can’t see through your little game? If this gets exposed, it won’t just be you…”


    “If this gets exposed, it won’t just be you who faces consequences. You could be banned, and it would drag your whole institute down with you.” Finnegan’s hands balled into fists. “Quit trying to scare us. There’s no way we’re getting banned.”


    His defensiveness made Ste narrow her eyes, her voice cold and clear.


    “Oh?” she said slowly. “So you do have someone pulling strings for you?”


    Finnegan froze, his breath hitching as Ste’s sharp eyes met his. He realized toote that she had baited him into slipping up.


    “You got me to spill that on purpose?” he asked, stunned.


    Ste gave him a sidelong nce. “Well, maybe you should’ve been smarter.”


    Finnegan’s jaw clenched, and his teammates looked just as bitter. With only a few people lingering backstage, he dropped the act. “Alright, fine. Let’s say we did twist things a bit, chose the same topic on purpose. So what? We’re still going to win.”


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