"Firstly, I would like to call and acknowledge our chief sponsor, Mr. Lucian Graves, the CEO of Cyber Bunk Technologies," Miss Elizabeth said, turning to look at Lucian in the VIP stand.
Everyone was stunned that such a high-profile figure had been present all along yet went unnoticed. Still, they instinctively clapped their hands in response.
But the shock only deepened when the man dressed entirely in black—his aura as dark as his rumored heart—stood up and made his way to the podium. Everyone remained frozen in disbelief. This was the very man many had casually dismissed as a scumbag.
Several VIPs exchanged glances, clearly shocked, while others quietly thanked God they hadn't started something they couldn't finish.
Lucy, though trembling in both hands and feet, could still recall Michael and the black box vividly. Seeing Lucian's outfit now, her thoughts began to spiral. What exactly did he want with Derek? she wondered. Was it all just a coincidence?
Deep down, Lucy sensed something was off. But after a while, she tried to shake it off. Maybe it really was just a coincidence. Still, her gut told her otherwise.
Mr. Lucian stepped up to the stage, gave a brief speech, and thanked everyone for attending. He praised the students' hard work, assuring them that their efforts would not go unnoticed.
Once Lucian finished, he slightly adjusted his coat and returned to his seat, drawing the attention of many. A round of applause followed before he finally settled back down.
"Now, to the results," Miss Elizabeth said, pausing slightly, as if to remind everyone of the tension still lingering in the air.
"As we previously announced, only four contestants made it to the final level. And among them, only one person managed to complete it," Miss Alison added, glancing at the candidates before turning forward to conclude the announcement.
"The winner of this round is entitled to a whopping sum of 530,000 dollars in cash," Miss Elizabeth continued, giving the crowd a general look. "Also, there has been a re-evaluation of the rankings. Your new positions are now on the leaderboard, so be sure to check them—even if you didn't qualify."
"No one should feel discouraged for not making it to the next round. After all, only 0.35% of participants were ever going to qualify. You should all still be proud for being part of the competition."
"With that being said, now to the main winner of the competition…" Miss Elizabeth said, lowering her gaze to the desk as she scrolled through the slides in front of her.
"The winner, and the only person to complete the Mind Grid, is none other than…" Miss Elizabeth's voice faltered with surprise.
"…Noah Crimson?" she finally announced, her voice tinged with disbelief—as if the name itself were a question.
Everyone in the audience stayed silent, assuming she had made a mistake. A few even joked loudly, saying they'd sue her for making such speech errors again.
After a few tense minutes, Miss Alison cleared her throat and firmly repeated the announcement.
"The winner of the Mind Grid… is no other than Noah Crimson."
That was when chaos erupted.
"How is that even possible?!"
"This competition was rigged!"
"Who is even Noah Crimson? He hasn't won anything in his life. If it were Stella, that would've made more sense!"
"I swear, I might sue this event—this is outrageous!"
Lucian sat calmly, but his clenched fist gave away his inner tension. He actually won… despite everything I planned so precisely, he thought.
Lucian leaned forward slightly, lost in thought. Whatever the rumors said didn't bother him anymore. In his past life, this news would have broken the internet. And now, it would confirm that the competition was indeed judged fairly.
He glanced subtly at Thompson. If nothing changed, Thompson would lose his mother even earlier than before. Lucian knew that pain—he didn't need to be told. He had lived it.
He sighed deeply. So much has changed. In his previous life, he was a nobody—he couldn't even afford a ticket to this exact event. But now? He owned one of the biggest tech industries in the world… and was the very sponsor of the event.
Maybe… just maybe, these changes could ripple further. Perhaps by sponsoring this contest, Thompson's mother might be saved. Just then, Miss Alison's voice snapped Lucian out of his thoughts.
"Now, we call on Mr. Lucian to present the cash prize to the winner of the Mind Grid—Noah Crimson—or to his representative," Miss Elizabeth said, her voice strained, the trauma of the result still catching in her throat.
Mr. Lucian stepped up to the podium, taking the oversized check that boldly displayed the $530,000 prize.
"Noah Crimson, or your representative, please step forward to receive your prize."
After a few minutes, Maxwell walked up to the podium in a sleek suit and sharp sunglasses. Derek watched from his seat—none of this surprised him. To him, everything was going exactly as planned.
He could still recall Miss Alison's final instructions before she left that fateful day. She had told him that the winner would be selected at random, and all he had to do was make it into the top 70. She'd also said he wouldn't be allowed to collect the prize in person—for safety reasons.
Maxwell received the prize calmly on Noah Crimson's behalf and returned to his seat.
As everything neared its end, many in the audience began to leave. But a significant number stayed behind—there was one thing left unresolved.
Thompson's rank.
Thompson had been ranked A, alongside Stella, in the previous competition. But many of his fans believed that wasn't accurate—that the ranking had been falsified.
So despite their anger and disappointment, they stayed. They kept watching and streaming the event, waiting—hoping—for the leaderboard update.
"Now, here is the updated leaderboard and rankings," Miss Elizabeth finally said after several minutes, gesturing toward the blue screen that had just materialized in mid-air.
The room fell into heavy silence. Tension thickened like fog as everyone stared intently at the glowing screen—unable to believe what they were seeing.