Chapter 35 - A New Rival
The regional engineering competition occupied the entire convention center.
Schools from across the state filled the exhibition hall with drones, medical devices, environmental projects, autonomous vehicles, and countless inventions created by students who had spent months preparing for this day.
Alex paused near the entrance.
The atmosphere was completely different from school.
No whispers.
No rumors.
Only students discussing engineering.
Emma handed him the team's registration packet.
"We finally made it."
Alex smiled.
"We're here."
Coach Daniels checked them in before leading the team toward Booth 27, where Version 15 would be displayed.
The prototype immediately attracted attention.
Several judges stopped to ask preliminary questions even before the official evaluation began.
Nearby, another team watched quietly.
Their school uniforms matched the location investigators had traced from the anonymous social media account.
Emma noticed them first.
"They keep looking over here."
Alex glanced across the aisle.
One student quickly looked away.
Another continued staring at the stabilization system.
None approached.
As the morning continued, the exhibition hall filled with spectators.
Parents.
University professors.
Industry engineers.
Local media.
Each project received equal evaluation time.
No team knew which inventions impressed the judges most.
During lunch, Alex left briefly to refill his water bottle.
When he returned, Emma stood beside the prototype with a concerned expression.
"What happened?"
"Someone asked a lot of very specific questions."
"What kind?"
"The kind that sounded less like curiosity and more like reverse engineering."
Coach Daniels immediately reminded the team not to speculate.
"Stay professional."
Alex nodded.
"They're allowed to ask."
"They are."
Coach Daniels looked toward the neighboring booth.
"But you're also allowed to protect unfinished work."
That afternoon, Investigator Bennett unexpectedly arrived at the competition.
She wasn't there to investigate students.
She simply wanted to observe.
After all the weeks spent reading reports about Alex, she wanted to see the young engineer everyone described.
She stood quietly near the back of the crowd as Alex demonstrated Version 15.
Within minutes, she understood why teachers admired him.
He explained complicated engineering concepts without trying to impress anyone.
When the demonstration ended, applause spread naturally through the audience.
Not because of sympathy.
Because the design worked remarkably well.
Across the aisle, one member of the neighboring team slowly closed his notebook.
His expression revealed neither admiration nor disappointment.
May you like
Only calculation.
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