Chapter 707
“Guess we don’t just recruit brains anymore,” the host joked. “This year’s lineup could pass for a magazine cover p>
He tossed out a handful of jokes, coaxing a few laughs before building anticipation for the competition’s kickoff.
The co-host followed up with a clean breakdown of the rules.
Three rounds stood between the contestants and victory. The first two were ruthless eliminations, offering no mercy and no second chances.
Each round released a technical problem. Submissions were ranked by solution quality and completion speed. The top twenty advanced from the first round. The second round cut that list to ten. Only those ten moved on to the final challenge.
With the rules laid out, Round one snapped into motion.
“Please welcome Steven Malone of the Air Traffic Control Committee to select today’s opening challenge,” the host announced.
Steven strode onto the stage, cameras tracking his every move. He pressed the selection button, and the digital question bank spun through scenarios in a blur before freezing on the final prompt overhead.
The host scanned the text. “This round features a large-scale route optimization problem. Each contestant receives 1,000 delivery orders and operational data for 100 autonomous drones. The goal is to calculate the most efficient routing solution within restricted airspace p>
He raised his hand. “The clock starts now. Three. Two. One p>
As the timer struck zero, a storm of keystrokes swept through the hall.
Gianna grinned. Ha! Everything’s falling into place. The setup could not be better.
I need to secure first place here and use that momentum to shake Anneliese’s confidence, crush her, and push her just close enough to slip past.
Her fingers danced across the keyboard, swift and sure, not a hint of hesitation slowing her down.
Pepper had orchestrated every advantage for this competition. A private analysis team worked in the shadows, a powerful compute cluster stood ready, and hours had been poured into perfecting solutions for challenges just like this.
Gianna was certain no one could keep up with her. She entered the final command and hit submit, her fingertip trembling as the mouse clicked beneath her.
Then, a piercing electronic tone sliced through the auditorium—the submission alert. A triumphant smile crept onto her lips. That’s it. I have taken first.
She lifted her chin, ready for the crowd’s reaction. Yet as her gaze locked onto the screen overhead, her confidence evaporated.
It read, ‘Contestant 45-Anneliese Claude p>
It wasn’t her. Gianna’s eyes dropped to her monitor, and she realized the
situation. Her program was still in validation, with the final run incomplete. The leaderboard.
wouldn’t update until all calculations were done and the final score was posted.
There was only one explanation: Anneliese had not just beaten her by a hair-she
had finished well before Gianna even submitted.
Her stomach dropped. How’s that possible?
Gianna turned to look at Anneliese, their stations separated by only a few feet. Anneliese looked completely at ease, shoulders relaxed, her expression calm. She glanced over, as if she could sense Gianna’s gaze.
Another submission alert rang through the room.
The leaderboard updated, and Gianna’s name appeared on the second row.
Anneliese smiled and offered a gentle nod. Gianna gripped the edge of the table, her face a mask, not even pretending to smile.
To Gianna, that smile felt mocking. It was less a gesture of courtesy and more a subtle taunt. Suspicion even crept in despite herself. Did she know I got the challenge and prep for this in advance?
The suspicion was stung enough to make Gianna instinctively look away.
Submission alerts echoed through the hall, but she barely flinched. Her brow furrowed, her focus unshakable. She had never come to outdo the crowd-only to defeat Anneliese.
The rest of the competitors faded into the background. Gianna’s preparation was too meticulous for distractions. Every scenario had been anticipated; no one else mattered.
Anneliese was never supposed to be
here. The disqualification should have cleared the way for Gianna’s victory. She had planned to reveal herselbas the Malone heiress at the perfect moment, the win serving as her grand finale. sŵnovels
However, everything had unraveled outside the venue.
UT
That humiliating moment clung to her, impossible to shake. Her reputation was already bruised, and losing to Anneliese would be ruinous. Gianna could not imagine how fast public opinion might turst once the story broke.
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