The car stopped at the drop-off area alongside another SUV. As they exited the car, they were immediately greeted by familiar faces – Bernard and his team.Although Kalix and the others tried to ignore them, it didn’t mean they could avoid trouble. Bernard approached with his fake polite smile.“Hey, we meet again! Didn’t expect you guys to stay here too,” Bernard greeted them warmly.Carl didn’t respond, he didn’t even offer a formal smile. He simply walked away, seemingly oblivious to anyone speaking. The others did the same.On the other hand, Bernard appeared unfazed by the cold reception, maintaining his formal smile. This, of course, had a specific impact on anyone witnessing the scene – his intention was to make it seem like Carl and his group had a bad attitude.However, he overlooked one person.Kalix returned his polite smile and nodded, understanding Bernard’s motive.Following Carl into the lobby, Kalix overheard Kyle saying, “That guy looks overly confident!”Others nodde
Just as he finished grooming himself, Kalix received unexpected guests. Carl and Iann stood at his bedroom door. Seeing them, Kalix furrowed his brow in confusion. “What’s going on? Are you guys having trouble?” he asked. They both shook their heads, and Iann replied, “No. Carl wants to invite you to have dinner at the hotel restaurant.” Before Kalix could respond, Carl added an explanation, “It would be more enjoyable to dine together rather than in our separate rooms. Isn’t that right, Iann?” With Carl mentioning his name, Iann reluctantly nodded. Although it was evident that Carl personally coerced him into joining dinner downstairs. Observing Carl’s enthusiasm, Kalix didn’t refuse. He said, “Wait for me while I change.” “Okay, go change your clothes quickly!” Carl exclaimed eagerly. He told Iann that it’s rare for them to enjoy such luxurious hotel service, so they should make the most of it. Five minutes later, the three of them headed downstairs to the restaurant without
Mr. Celeste has heard somewhat of Kalix from his daughter, Eugene, particularly related to today’s software engineering competition. He is aware of how the young man managed to create a rather complex application in less than 10 days. Impressed, Mr. Celeste takes the initiative to greet Kalix upon seeing him at the competition opening, despite their differing statuses. On the other hand, as Kalix notices Mr. Celeste’s arrival, he promptly stands up and shakes the man’s hand. “Hello, Sir,” Kalix says first. He wouldn’t let the head of the Celeste family initiate the greeting. Mr. Celeste appreciates his demeanor, giving Kalix a little extra credit in his mind. “You’re Kalix, right? Pleasure to meet you here.” Kalix offers a polite smile, not appearing overly eager to please the man. After responding, Kalix introduces his teammates, Carl and Iann, to Mr. Celeste. “They are my teammates in the competition. This is our team leader, Carl, and this one is the genius on our team, Ian
Bernard dislikes defeat, not because he’s competitively spirited, but simply due to his unreasonably high self-esteem. What he enjoys most is triumphing over those who stand against him, making them acknowledge him and lowering their self-esteem and confidence.He can employ various tactics to get what he wants, including getting rid of his opponents in the dirtiest ways.Since Kalix joined Carl’s team, naturally becoming his rival, he was supposed to be inferior. Bernard wouldn’t let him surpass him.After passing by Kalix and brushing against him, he hurried to the bathroom. He contacted Jaxson.“Help me,” he said moments after the call connected. He didn’t bother with pleasantries with Jaxson.“What kind of help?” Jaxson asked back with a slightly displeased tone. He had already helped as much as possible, and the person still didn’t seem satisfied.Certainly, Bernard could sense Jaxson’s displeasure, but he didn’t give up easily. Only Jaxson could help him with this issue. So he t
"The number has been drawn," Carl said as he saw Kalix emerge from Ken's room.Kalix glanced at him, then nodded in understanding. Before he could ask, Carl informed him."We're in the 5th position, second from last. It seems the event will take place in 2 days.""Not bad. Who's in the 4th position?"Upon hearing the question, Carl looked at Kalix with a hint of meaning in his eyes. Then he answered, "It's Bernard's group."There was no surprise or other emotion in Kalix's eyes. It was in line with what he wanted.Seeing him so calm, Carl felt a bit helpless as he didn't know what to say. He could only swallow back every question in his mind. Glancing at Ken's room door, then looking back at Kalix.Certainly, Kalix understood what was on Carl's mind, so he said, "Don't worry, in 2 days, the issue will be resolved. But Ken's name won't be listed in our group anymore."Carl nodded and responded angrily, "Of course, there's no place for a traitor!"Carl's breath was slightly uneven, he w
For a moment, the atmosphere in the room was tense. It was evident from any perspective that Kalix had the upper hand in his silence over Bernard.After a prolonged silence, Kalix spoke, “It’s okay if you don’t have an answer. I’ll provide an answer to someone else later.”He then sat back in his place.In reality, the application concept introduced by Bernard wasn’t entirely the same as the one lost by Carl’s group. Some parts of the application had even undergone modifications, but overall, everything remained on the same track.That’s why Kalix had the courage to ask that annoying question earlier.Bernard might not have expected Carl’s group to create another application quickly for competition, so he calmly used the stolen material without making many changes.Bernard’s actions could be considered bold but also foolish. However, who told him to have strong backing?As Kalix sat down, he received two thumbs up from each of his teammates. It was a somewhat amusing sight, so he coul
Bernard strides arrogantly onto the podium. Deep within his bead-like eyes, satisfaction and a sense of triumph gleam, carefully concealed from the onlookers. He pretends to be humble. Unfortunately, not everyone witnessing is clueless youth. For the adults who’ve faced various life challenges and encountered many characters like Bernard, this act is all too familiar. Standing before the podium, holding a gold medal, Bernard scans the crowd, wearing a polite smile. “Thank you all; hard work eventually yields ability, and ability is more important than speed.” Kalix, hearing the last sentence, can’t help but find it amusing, suppressing a mocking laugh. What could be going through Bernard’s mind to make him so arrogant? Despite this, Kalix remains silent, offering no objections or signs of anger. Bernard, who has been discreetly observing him from the start, feels unsatisfied. This isn’t the reaction Bernard hoped to elicit from Kalix. On the other side, Carl shows displeasure.
With Mr. Celeste’s progress indirectly supporting Kalix and his friends, it certainly prompted some people who knew him to step forward.The situation was chaotic for a moment, but gradually calmed down after decisions were made as fairly as possible. Students not suspected of involvement and invited guests were allowed to leave first, while the competition staff discussed the issues and sought the truth.Kalix was detained to submit the evidence he had. However, after that, he was allowed to leave.As he walked out of the room, he was greeted by his other friends.Carl approached and placed his hand on Kalix’s shoulder. With a deep breath, he said disgustedly, “They really have no shame! In a competition like this, they use the power of money!”Not only Carl, but others also felt the same disgust.“It’s okay, those people won’t dare to trivialize this issue because it concerns the school’s reputation. Not to mention the many pieces of evidence showing Jaxson and Bernard’s cheating.”