Chapter 170
Chapter 170:
“Congratulations, Professor Ahmed. Please say a few words,” the host said, handing over the trophy.
Stetson took the mic and swallowed his frustration. “First, I’d like to thank the committee for their recognition p>
His speech was short and stiff. His eyes kept drifting toward the final unopened envelope. Who had taken the award that was supposed to be his?
The joy of winning had vanished. For him and his team, the ceremony had turned into a bitter pill. Once offstage, all eyes turned to the host, waiting for the final announcement.
Smiling, the host stepped forward. “Originally, the ceremony was to end here. But among the submissions, one stood out. Its value to the medical field far exceeded even our top expectations. Because of this, the committee unanimously agreed to add a gold award above the first prize p>
He paused and glanced at the card in his hand before continuing, “And the winner of this award might surprise you. I know I was certainly stunned.” He took a deep breath and read aloud. “The gold award goes to the author of ‘Novel Discoveries and Clinical Applications of Neuroregenerative Factors’ — Rylie Owen p>
Shock registered across every face as the host’s announcement echoed through the hall.
Instead of the enthusiastic cheers meant for a champion, the audience’s applause faltered, uncertain, with students taking a moment to absorb what had just happened.
Stetson’s congratulatory smile vanished, his hand unconsciously creasing the certificate meant for the top winner. The young woman he’d dismissed as a non-threat had walked off with the highest honor. How could that possibly be?
Where was the justice in this outcome?
“Impossible…” The words slipped out, barely audible.
Without warning, he sprang to his feet, his voice slicing through the uneasy silence. “There’s something wrong here p>
A hush fell over the crowd as the host cleared his throat and addressed him with visible discomfort, asking, “Is there a problem, Professor Ahmed p>
Every story starts at gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s﹒𝒸оm
Fuming, Stetson marched up to the front, his outrage plain for all to see. “I refuse to accept this decision! How can a mere undergraduate — someone not even finished with her degree — overshadow the painstaking work of veteran professors p>
The audience buzzed, a low tide of whispers sweeping through the room.
Not missing her chance, Stacey stood too and lent her voice to the protest. “Professor Ahmed makes a valid point! Rylie’s data isn’t transparent, and her experiment was completed far too quickly for these results to be reliable. This isn’t what a gold award looks like p>
Turning her attention to the panel of judges, Stacey continued, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, “Academic honesty is the heart of science. We can’t let opportunists drag down the reputation we’ve built here p>
Her impassioned plea struck a chord, and a ripple of agreement passed through the hall. Someone in the back leaned toward their neighbor and whispered, “Seriously, have you heard the latest? Rylie was booted out by the Kirk family, only to get picked up by the wealthiest folks in town p>