Chapter 67
Donovan looked pleased with his "cleverness," completely unaware he'd fallen into the trap at the very beginning of the question.
Since all labels were wrong, the box labeled "apples" couldn't possibly contain apples.
His thinking had completely unraveled.
"No, that's not right..." he quickly contradicted himself, his expression turning pained as he clutched his head. "If the labels are wrong, how do I know which is which?"
He began speaking incoherently, repeatedly muttering "apples," "oranges," "all wrong," his gaze unfocused.
The composed elderly man who had been conversing so fluently moments ago had vanished, replaced by a pitiful patient driven to breakdown by a simple question.
Leila's sharp voice cut through, speaking into the microphone as if protecting her patient, "Diana! Can't you see Mr. Campbell is unwell? How can you torment a recently recovered elderly man with such a tricky question? What kind of heart do you have?"
Even as she spoke, she frantically signaled to her team members below the stage.
The next second, the video call window on the big screen went black.
The signal had been cut.
If Donovan's incoherence had merely raised suspicions, this abrupt blackout was an irrefutable confession.
Seconds later, a tidal wave of discussion exploded through the venue—shock, anger, contempt, sudden realization—all emotions intertwining, directed at Leila, the now deathly pale woman on stage.
"My God, what are they doing? This is fraud!"
"That patient... his condition isn't right at all!"
"Why not actually demonstrate taekwondo? And cutting the video! They're guilty!"
Arthur leapt to his feet from the judges' panel, his blue eyes burning with unprecedented fury.
This typically composed academic titan was now so angry his hands trembled.
He grabbed the microphone, not even waiting for the host to react, and addressed Leila directly with a commanding tone, "Ms. Leila York! I demand that you immediately submit this patient, Mr. Campbell, to an independent third-party medical institution designated by our organizing committee for a comprehensive, transparent evaluation! Immediately!"
Leila's entire body shuddered. "The signal just dropped, network fluctuation..."
Such excuses now sounded pathetically weak.
In the VIP section, Brent stood up, his expression grave. This scandal was no longer just Leila's personal failure; it would bring immeasurable negative impact to Lumaria's entire scientific community.
Brent made a decisive move.
Walking to the microphone in the aisle, he announced solemnly, "On behalf of the Institute of Biotechnology, I hereby formally declare that we have zero tolerance for any form of academic misconduct."
"Given the serious situation that has emerged, I announce the immediate suspension of Ms. Leila York from all positions and projects at the Institute."
"Also, a special investigation team will thoroughly examine every aspect of the 'Neural Stimulation eXpress-α' project! We must be accountable to science and to the public!"
Idris slowly leaned back in his chair. Looking at the figure on stage who seemed about to collapse, the last trace of warmth vanished from his eyes.
A defective product had no investment value.
He didn't even spare her another glance before rising and exiting expressionlessly through the side door.
Under the spotlight, Leila's world crumbled.
The judges' fury, her supervisor's disavowal, her brother's abandonment... all the glory, honor, and applause had transformed into the sharpest mockery, leaving her utterly exposed.
Diana quietly returned to her seat.
Leila's mind went completely blank.
Those eyes that had once praised and admired her now held only contempt and schadenfreude.
Why? Why did Diana always effortlessly take everything from her?
She had schemed and climbed step by step to reach her current position, was about to reach the summit to enjoy supreme glory and wealth—why should this country girl destroy it all with just a few words?
She couldn't lose! She absolutely could not lose!
Leila suddenly grabbed the microphone, her voice shrill.
Facing the judges and the entire audience, she screamed, "I didn't fake anything! 'Neural Stimulation eXpress-α' is effective! Mr. Campbell's recovery is real!"
She whirled around, fixing her gaze on the quietly seated figure below. "Diana! My dear sister!"
She emphasized "dear" heavily, filled with blood-and-tears accusation.
"Why are you doing this to me? Because I replaced you in the York family? Because I received our parents' love? Because I'm about to win on the stage you've always dreamed of, so you use such despicable means to destroy me?"
Before she finished speaking, tears rolled down in large drops, slightly washing away her foundation, making her look disheveled and vulnerable—enough to arouse anyone's protective instincts.
"You claim my drug depletes life, but that's just your excuse to cover up the slow, inefficient development of your 'NeuroRevive-1'! Which scientific breakthrough hasn't been accompanied by controversy? What you don't dare to do doesn't mean I won't! The people you can't save, I can!"
She wept as she spoke, portraying herself as a tragic genius with a great heart, suppressed by a jealous sister yet still brave enough to make breakthroughs.
"I admit, to help Mr. Campbell communicate better with everyone, my team used some supportive nutritional supplements, which is completely compliant with medical standards!"
"Yet you fixate on this point, using a ridiculous logic game to harass a recovering elderly man, maliciously guiding public opinion—how cruel can your heart be?"
This black-is-white lamentation once again shook some uninformed audience members and media.
Indeed, feuds between wealthy sisters, jealousy among geniuses—these would always be more captivating than dry scientific arguments.
Elisa nearly jumped from her chair in anger. "When someone completely abandons logic and facts and resorts to emotional appeals and moral blackmail, it shows they've run out of options!"
Just then, a Lumarian judge who had been silent throughout cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Let's all calm down for a moment."
The speaker was Professor Kelvin Smith, a senior figure in domestic neuroscience who had deep collaborations with both the York Group and Russell Group on several biomedical projects.
His expression was serious, conveying an elder's fairness and deep concern.
"Dr. Anderson, colleagues, no one wanted to see things develop to this point. But I must say something."
His gaze turned to Diana, his tone carrying disapproving severity.
"Ms. Diana York, as scientific researchers, what should we value most? Evidence!"
"A logic puzzle cannot serve as counter-evidence to clinical data. Mr. Campbell's sudden distress could have many causes—perhaps network delay, perhaps genuine physical discomfort."
"Before obtaining conclusive diagnostic reports from a third-party institution, inciting the audience and judges to make serious accusations like 'drug control' or 'academic fraud' is highly irresponsible and violates the truth-seeking spirit of scientific researchers!"
While appearing to mediate fairly, he cleverly downplayed Leila's "fraudulent behavior" to "questionable points requiring verification," while characterizing Diana's counterattack as "incitement" and "malicious accusations without evidence."