Governor Webster leaned forward with narrowing eyes as he fixed his gaze on Dr. Klein. His voice cut through the silence like a knife."How do you intend to defend yourself now, Dr. Klein?" he asked, his tone was sharp and unforgiving.Dr. Klein’s lips parted, but no words came at first. He struggled, his mouth was moving, but the words seemed to catch in his throat."I... I—Your Excellency, I... I can explain," he stammered, his hands were trembling as they reached for the edge of the table. "This... this is a misunderstanding. The code... it’s not what it looks like. I... I didn’t know anything about these backdoors!"He tried to gather his thoughts, but the panic on his face betrayed him. "There must be... some mistake! I... I wasn’t aware... no, I... I didn’t authorize this. It’s... it’s all a setup!" His voice wavered, growing weaker with each word.Governor Webster said nothing, only watching as Dr. Klein’s defense crumbled.It was then that Commissioner Roland, the head of Neov
Marvin stepped forward, and his eyes were locked on Dr. Klein. “About that, you lie, Dr. Klein,” he said, his voice was calm but it was laced with a cutting edge.Dr. Klein’s head snapped up in shock, with his face paling further.“You see, while I made my research about your project, I dug deeper into your private life,” Marvin continued. “And I discovered something rather interesting and very different from what you claim—you don’t have a daughter named Hannah suffering from terminal cancer. In fact, you're divorced, and you have two sons, both of whom are healthy and hearty. They’re not struggling at all, Dr. Klein. They’re both in the military.”The room fell silent, and Dr. Klein's mouth opened as if to protest, but Marvin didn’t give him a chance. He tapped a few clicks on his phone and then raised it for the dignitaries to see.“Here’s a photo album of Dr. Klein and his sons,” Marvin said, showing them the screen. “After scanning it with AI, it confirmed that this picture was
Governor Webster turned toward Marvin, and his stern expression started softening. “As for you, Mr. Marvin,” he began with a voice that carried a tone of gratitude, “I owe you more than I can say. You didn’t just uncover a lie. You saved the people of Neovalle from falling into financial ruin, and you prevented me from making a grave mistake that could have destroyed my political career. Thanks to you, we’ve avoided a disaster.”The governor paused, then continued, “You’ve protected the stability of this city and my leadership. There’s no telling how much damage would have been done if Dr. Klein’s lies had gone unnoticed. We are in your debt, Marvin.”The governor then turned to Mr. V and asked, “So, Mr. V, how do you suggest we thank Mr Marvin here?”Mr. V nodded thoughtfully. “I believe it would be fitting to award Mr. Marvin the ten million dollar funding that was originally meant for Dr. Klein. After all, Marvin was the runner-up in the Neovalle Tech Innovation Contest. His proje
Marvin and his assistant, Kenney had visited the Neovalle college of technology and they sat in the office of Dr. Gideon Barnes, an experienced engineering professor of the university. The room smelled of old books and faint machine oil, with blueprints and mechanical tools scattered across the desk. The walls were lined with framed certificates, awards, and sketches of complex machines.Dr. Barnes, a tall man with graying hair, leaned forward, looking at Marvin with deep interest. "So, you want to build a machine that can extract solar energy efficiently?" he asked, his voice was steady but curious.Marvin nodded. "Yes, professor. I’ve already developed some prototypes, but I need better tools and a more refined design to move forward."Dr. Barnes smiled knowingly. "I see you’re ambitious, Marvin. That's good. Now, if you're serious about this, you’ll need to focus on a few key areas. First, you’ll need high-efficiency solar cells—something beyond what’s available in regular market
Kelly took a deep breath and began to explain, her voice was still shaky. "I’ve been working on this project for months. It’s for the practical exams organized by the school. “I need to pass this. It’s the only way I’ll get the scholarship.” She paused, her fingers were lightly touching the wind-powered generator in her lap. "But every time I show it to my supervisor, he rejects it. He says it’s not good enough for the exam, and I need this scholarship more than anything."Marvin listened carefully, his curiosity started growing. "May I ask why you really need this scholarship?" he asked gently.Kelly looked down at the floor, with her voice becoming even softer. "It’s the only way I can continue my education. Without it, I’ll have to drop out of school, and I’m so close to finishing my school because I am about to enter my final year."Marvin thought for a moment. "I see. Your parents can’t afford to keep paying for your education?"Kelly shook her head, with tears forming again. "N
The landlord, Mr. Charles Loucke, arrived at the orphanage, flanked by two muscular men. His face was red with anger as he marched to the front door. He banged on the entrance hard, making the door shake. "Craig! Mr. Craig! Come out before I break down this door!" he yelled, his voice was echoing through the yard.He banged again, even louder. Just then, Mrs. Martha Craig, Kelly’s guardian, opened the door. She looked up at Mr. Charles with innocent eyes, trying her best to stay calm."Good afternoon, Mr. Charles Loucke," she greeted him quietly."Why were you all taking so long to answer me, huh?" Mr. Charles bellowed, glaring at her."I’m sorry, Mr. Charles. We didn’t mean to delay, we were—""Shut your mouth!" Mr. Charles cut her off angrily. "I don’t have time to hear your excuses."He stepped closer, towering over her. "Now, where is your husband?""He’s not here right now," Martha replied. "He went to work."Mr. Charles narrowed his eyes. "So, I suppose he left my money with yo
Just then, Mr. Craig arrived at the orphanage on his old scooter. As he rode up to the house, he noticed Mr. Charles Loucke standing in front of the entrance, glaring at Martha and Marvin. Quickly, he parked his scooter, removed his helmet, and switched off the engine. Without a moment's hesitation, he rushed over to Mr. Charles, breathing heavily from his hurry. "Good afternoon, Mr. Loucke," he said, his voice was tired but respectful. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. Here—" Mr. Craig reached into his bag and pulled out a bundle of cash. "I just got my salary, and this is half of it. Five thousand dollars. Please, bear with us a little longer. I promise we’ll pay you everything we owe." Mr. Charles’s face twisted with disdain as he looked at Mr. Craig, as if he were something unpleasant he had stepped in. Martha’s face tightened with worry, and she grabbed her husband's arm. "Craig," she whispered urgently, her eyes were full of concern. "If you give him half of you
As Mr. Craig entered the room, he saw his wife, Martha, sitting on the edge of the bed, her shoulders were shaking as she cried. He felt a pang in his chest and moved quietly to her side, placing a gentle hand on her back.“Martha,” he whispered with a soft voice. “Why are you crying?”She looked up at him, her eyes had already turned red and it was filled with pain. She sniffled and wiped her face, trying to steady her voice. But the words tumbled out, heavy with frustration.“Why do you let people treat you this way?” she began, with her voice breaking. “Ever since we decided to take care of these orphaned children, our lives have been so hard. The money from your job and even the small amount of money we get from the government isn’t enough to take care of them.”Mr. Craig sighed and tried to calm her. “Come on, Martha. That’s no reason to cry. This is a mission—a good work we’re doing. We’re doing it because we have kind hearts. Yes, there are challenges, but that’s just part of