"We will now announce the final rankings of thepetition..." the host''s voice boomed, immediately recapturing everyone''s attention.


    "In third ce, from Moralia Country, is the entry ''Darkly''."


    Moralia Country? The audience members who had been waiting to ridicule Orient Country exchanged confused nces. Wasn''t third ce supposed to go to Orient Country? What right did they have to aim for second?


    Even now, their arrogance persisted, convinced that the “backward" Orient Country could never surpass Moralia. Sure, the other program, ''D,'' wasn''t bad, but who knew if it was just something cobbled together by Orient Country''s so-called masters? How much of it was their own original work? Second ce? That was far too ambitious for Orient Country!


    "Our second-ce winner is ''D'' from Froskia Country!"


    The host''s announcement left the crowd even more stunned. What was going on? Third ce was Moralia Country, and second was Froskia Country? Didn''t that mean first ce was...?


    The judges were just as baffled. Could such a brilliant andplex program like "Glimmer” really not be from Froskia Country? Hadn''t Froskia just recently announced major breakthroughs in their programming capabilities? What was happening?


    "And the first-ce winner is ''Glimmer,'' from Orient Country!"


    As the host finished, a dead silence fell over the hall. All eyes stared at the man walking out from backstage. He was middle-aged, with salt-and-pepper hair and simple clothes. His entire appearance seemedpletely at odds with the high-tech world of programming. Coupled with the fact that he had won the championship on his first try, Tucker himself was in a daze, walking so stiffly that his arms and legs moved in unnatural unison.


    This was the programmer from Orient Country who created "Glimmer" and won the championship? He didn''t look like someone who even touched aputer!


    Byron was more shocked than anyone. He couldn''t believe that the program that had stunned everyone, "Glimmer," was Tucker''s creation Tuckenspent all his time holed up in hisb, with little contact with the outside world and no high-level mentor to guide him. It was impossible for him to have created something so intricate andplex on his own.


    And another thing the more he looked at "Glimmer," the more it resembled the work of a previous champion, the legendary Miss Null. The techniques used were practically identical.


    Byron''s mind raced. Tucker must have been desperate to win and giarized the core concepts from Miss Null''s work. With that thought, he immediately took out his phone and sent a formal usation to thepetitionmittee.


    Just as the judges were marveling at the unassuming champion, an assistant rushed over to them, whispering urgently. The head judge''s face immediately turned grim. He stood up, his expression severe.


    "The award ceremony will be


    paused," he announced. "We have


    received an usation that Tucker''s entry ''Glimmer,'' involves giarism. To maintain the integrity of thispetition, we will need some time to investigate. We ask for your patience."


    giarism? The usation was so absurd that Tucker almostughed out loud. He had spent years on this program, endlessly refining


    polishing it. And now they d this


    using him of stealing


    Just


    because they couldn''t stand to lose, they resorted to nder?


    Fine. Let them investigate. His conscience was clear.


    A smile finally returned to Byron''s face. His n was working. Let Tucker win the championship? What would be left of his own reputation in the tech world? Juniper''s eyes narrowed, the curve of her lips deepening. There it is. Right on cue. Well, she thought, it''s still early. She might as well y along a little longer.


    After a rigorousparison, the judges found that certain techniques in Tucker''s "Glimmer" did indeed bear a striking resemnce to the work of "Miss Null,? the champion from several years ago.