Chapter 169
Chapter 169:
“I heard the first prize comes with five hundred thousand dollars!” one student whispered excitedly.
Stetson stayed composed, his hands resting on the table. “Let’s not celebrate too soon. It’s not our turn yet,” he said.
The students glanced at each other. “Professor Ahmed, the next one is the first prize,” one of them said.
Stacey chimed in softly, her tone full of confidence. “We deserve better than that. With your guidance, we’re sure to win the gold award. I heard this award didn’t even exist before. It was added just for us because of the breakthrough in our research p>
Stetson chuckled. “Yes, I heard the same. The gold award comes with one million in funding. Besides, they would help us set up a full research team and secure our future p>
For them, winning that award meant everything.
Stacey’s eyes sparkled as she looked toward the stage, already imagining herself being called Dr. Payne.
The host cleared his throat and smiled mysteriously. “Now, for the first prize in this competition… The winner is p>
He paused, building suspense as his gaze swept the crowd.
“‘The Application of Gene Editing Technology in Neurodegenerative Diseases,’ by Professor Stetson Ahmed’s team p>
The room erupted in cheers. But Stetson’s smile vanished. He tightened his grip on the meeting manual.
His students beamed and exchanged hugs, not noticing that Stetson, Stacey, and the other team members looked stunned.
Stacey’s smile faded. Wasn’t the gold award supposed to be theirs? Why had they only won first prize?
The others, influenced by Stetson’s earlier words, looked confused. “Weren’t we promised the gold award? What happened?” one student whispered.
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“Did the committee change it last minute?” another muttered.
“Or… was there never a gold award to begin with p>
Speculation filled the air, but no one dared speak up.
“Professor Ahmed and team, please come up to receive your award,” the host called again.
Stacey leaned closer to Stetson. “Everyone’s watching. Let’s go onstage first. I believe we still have a shot at the gold. Maybe it’s just a mix-up p>
Stetson forced a smile and rose stiffly, his eyes locked on the envelope still in the host’s hand — the one that hadn’t been opened yet.
His mind raced. Who could’ve taken the gold award? He had reviewed most of the papers and found none that could rival his. Except…
He turned slightly and looked at Rylie. He hadn’t bothered to read her submission properly. It was a student’s solo project, unpolished and untested.
He dismissed it after a quick glance. There was no way… Or was there?
As he walked up the steps, his thoughts swirled.
Each step felt like walking on clouds — light, dizzying, unreal. The cheers in the hall blurred into buzzing noise. Five hundred thousand dollars. On any other day, it would’ve been a dream come true. But right now, it felt like a slap in the face. His hopes of securing a bright future had just cracked.