The Moralia Country Tech Convention Center was teeming with programming titans from every corner of the globe. The sheer scale of the event was magnificent and overwhelming.


    “Look at all these people,” Tucker said, clutching hisptop bag and adjusting his thick reading sses as he scanned the crowd.


    “So many legends of the programming world arepeting." He swallowed hard, his nervousness showing. “Juniper, what if we get knocked out in the first round?" Thepetition consisted of five rounds. Based on the preliminary results, contestants were divided into small groups of four. Each group would anonymously submit and vote on projects. The work with the most votes from each group would advance to the next round. This process would repeat until the fifth and final round, where the top three projects would be selected, determining the champion, runner- up, and third-ce winner.


    “If I remember correctly, didn''t Byron get eliminated in the third roundst time hepeted?" Tucker asked.


    “Hmm?” Juniper, wearing a ck hoodie and a baseball cap with her hands in her pockets, arched an eyebrow. "You remember wrong. He was knocked out in the second round."


    And he only made it that far because anotherpetitor in his group had to withdraw due to a health issue. Otherwise, Byron would have been a first-round washout.


    "Really?" Tucker scratched his cheek, his face etched with worry. "This is intense. I just hope we canst a few rounds."


    "We will," Juniper replied with a small smile, saying no more.


    A few stepster, they ran right into Byron.


    "Well, if it isn''t Tucker," Byron said, striding over with an air of superiority. "I know this is your first World Programming Competition, so a lot of the rules might be confusing. Feel free to ask me if you need anything."


    “No, but thank you,” Tucker replied, his lips forming a smile that didn''t reach his eyes. If he genuinely wanted to help, he could have just offered the advice. Why make someone grovel for it?


    Thankfully, on the way over, Juniper


    had briefed him on every single detail. He felt so familiar with thepetition grounds it was likeing home. An outsider might have thought she''dpeted here herself. She must have done a ton of research.


    "The contestants here are all the best in the business. There''s no shame in being eliminated in the first round," Byron continued, his arms crossed, his tone dripping with condescension.


    "Oh?" Tucker couldn''t take it anymore and shot back, "From the sound of it, you''re expecting to bring home the glory for our country?"


    “Thepetition is stiff, and while my project is quite good..." Byron''s face broke into a smug, disingenuous smile. "One must remain humble."


    His program had been a


    coborative effort, with


    contributions from numerous top programmers, both domestic and international. It was cutting-edge in terms of innovation and technical execution. If not the championship, top-three finish was practically guaranteed.


    As for Tucker''s project...


    Byron scoffed internally. He''d heard Tucker had cobbled it together by himself while tinkering in hisb. Did he really think a lucky break in the preliminaries meant he could actually ce in the finals?


    Byron knew exactly what Tucker''s capabilities were. What kind of groundbreaking work could he possibly produce hiding away in a universityb all day?


    Still, getting knocked out in the first round would be a bit of an embarrassment for their country. Would he even have the nerve to return to his teaching position at Era University after that?


    Tucker just smiled without another word and led Juniper away.


    Soon, the audience, filled with


    programming enthusiasts, had taken their seats. On stage, a pane of judges, all decorated


    programming masters from around the world, sat expectantly. The contestants drew lots, formed theri groups, and prepared to present their work as the first round began.