Chapter 123
The robot didn't answer.
Its eyes shifted slightly, landing on a young woman in the second row. "Miss, your cervical curve has straightened. You're experiencing stiffness in the back of your neck right now, and intermittent numbness in your right index and middle fingers. I recommend you stop looking down at your phone immediately. Otherwise, within three months, you'll develop persistent hand numbness."
The young woman's eyes went wide. Her hand flew to the back of her neck. The color drained from her face.
She had been… her hand did go numb lately…
"Your sleep quality is extremely poor. Deep sleep accounts for less than 8% of your total sleep time. You experience frequent dreams and wake easily. Surface analysis indicates conjunctival hyperemia and eyelid edema. You stayed up using electronic devices until approximately 2 a.m. last night. Analysis suggests recent emotional distress. I recommend reducing nighttime blue light exposure and, if necessary, seeking psychological counseling."
The young woman's face went from white to crimson. She clutched her phone, looking like someone had just stripped her naked in public.
The crowd erupted.
"Oh my God… how… how is that even possible…"
"It knows what time she went to bed last night?"
"Not knows—analyzed. Sleep patterns, surface feature collection…"
"This is more accurate than a doctor…"
Lucinda stood onstage, her gaze sweeping coolly across the room. "This is just the beginning. It can know what you need before you open your mouth. It can know what medication you need before you get sick. It can know whether you need a hug, a glass of warm water, or thirty minutes of silence before you break down."
She paused. The corner of her mouth curved slightly. Each word came out deliberate and clear. "This isn't a robot. This is family."
The room fell silent for a heartbeat.
Then applause crashed over the hall like a tidal wave, one surge after another, rattling the ceiling.
"Ms. Wipere! Our group wants to partner with you!"
"Ms. Wipere! We'll pay five times the price for exclusive distribution rights!"
"Ms. Wipere!"
Countless hands shot up, business cards thrust forward in a frenzy.
Lucinda stood onstage, her gaze drifting across the sea of faces. Her mouth curved slightly.
Just then, the conference hall doors burst open.
A group of men in charcoal-gray suits streamed in. At the front was a man in his fifties, trailed by four or five attendants. His hair was slicked back to a shine, his chin tilted upward, his mouth twisted in a cold, triumphant smirk.
The atmosphere in the hall shifted instantly.
"That's Vyratek Tech Group… The guy in front is their CEO, Wilder Howard."
"What are they doing here? Don't tell me—"
"You didn't hear? They sent a letter claiming Ridgeway Tech stole their data…"
Murmurs buzzed through the crowd. Hands that had been applauding froze mid-air. Potential partners exchanged glances, quietly pulling back the business cards they'd just offered.
The faces of Ridgeway Tech's technical staff went pale in unison.
Lucinda stood onstage, watching the group cut through the crowd toward the stage. Her expression didn't change.
Wilder stopped at the foot of the stage and looked up at her. His gaze lingered on her young face for a moment. His smirk widened. "Ms. Wipere, congratulations. Your launch was quite successful. However, there's something I'd like to clarify with your company—in front of everyone here."
He turned his head slightly and gestured to someone behind him.
An attendant stepped forward, placing a silver metal case on the display table. He opened it. Inside was a complete technical proposal.
The logo on the cover read Vyratek Tech Group, but the title was nearly identical to the "First Light" technical white paper Ridgeway Tech had just released.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Wilder tapped his finger on the document, his voice rising. "This is the core technical proposal Vyratek Tech Group has been developing for over two years. And yet, the new product your company released today—from architecture to algorithms—is identical to ours. Ms. Wipere, when did your company's technical capabilities become so advanced? Advanced enough to replicate in just a few months what took us over two years?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the packed crowd, his voice laced with smug certainty. "If it's not plagiarism, what else could it be?"
The hall exploded.
Camera lenses zoomed in and out frantically. Flashbulbs popped in a blinding cascade. Reporters surged forward with their recorders, refusing to back down even as security held them at bay.
The faces of potential partners turned ugly. A few had already started gathering their materials, preparing to leave.
Ridgeway Tech's staff stood backstage, pale-faced and silent.
Onstage, Lucinda didn't rush. She walked forward two unhurried steps and stopped at the edge of the stage, looking down at Wilder. "Mr. Howard, you say we plagiarized. Where's your proof?"
Wilder spread his hands, gesturing to the document on the display table, then to the "First Light" technical parameters still looping on the giant screen behind Lucinda. Impatience dripped from his voice. "Isn't this proof enough? Your data is completely identical to ours. Ms. Wipere, the facts are right in front of you. What's there to argue about?"
"Identical data proves plagiarism?" Lucinda didn't flinch. Each word came out sharp and clear. "Mr. Howard, if you've really been developing this for over two years, then you should know very well that the technical proposal in your hands has a fatal flaw in its core algorithm."
Wilder's smile froze for a split second. "What did you just say?"
Lucinda turned, glancing toward backstage. Her gaze landed precisely on Gaia's face. She gave a slight nod.
Gaia stood in the crowd. When Lucinda's eyes met hers, she froze for a moment. Then her eyes lit up.
Her fingers flew across her screen. She dialed a number. "Release it."
Three seconds later, the conference hall's giant screen switched. A surveillance video appeared.
2:17 a.m. A hallway. Joseph's figure. Swiping a keycard. Entering. Ten minutes later, leaving in a hurry.
The screen switched.
Chat logs.
A conversation between Joseph and Vyratek Tech Group executives. Times, dates, amounts—all crystal clear.
[Data acquired. When's the payment coming through?]
[Don't worry. That idiot Lucinda doesn't suspect a thing.]
The screen switched again.
Transfer records.
Every transaction from a Vyratek Tech Group offshore account.
The hall erupted completely.
"Oh my God, they didn't just steal the data—they planned how to frame her—"
"That's shameless!"
"Vyratek Tech Group, an international corporation, and this is what they do?"