After the Uber arrived, Marvin and Kenney got inside quickly. They had stayed quiet during the ride.Once they reached the hotel, Marvin paid the driver, and they both hurried toward the entrance.Inside the lobby, they walked up to the front desk. The receptionist smiled at them."Good evening, sir. How can I help you?" she asked politely."We’re here to check in. I’ve booked the VVIP lounge," Marvin said.The receptionist nodded and typed something on her computer. "Ah, yes. Mr. Marvin. Everything is ready and okay. You need the keys, I suppose?""No, my mom is in the suite.""Okay, sir, that's fine," she said with a nicer tone.Marvin got checked in, thanked her, and they made their way to the VVIP lounge.As they entered the lounge’s sitting room, Marvin’s mother stood up and greeted him with a big smile, her arms open wide."How was the tech exhibition, son?""It was fine, Mom. We did great," Marvin replied, hugging her.But his mother noticed they were in a hurry. "Why are you g
"Jesus Christ!" Kenney exclaimed, his voice was shaking. He stared at his phone, unable to believe what he was seeing.Debit Alert: $15,000 withdrawn from your account.Marvin froze, his mind started racing. This virus wasn’t just for spying or stealing data. It was targeting Kenney’s bank account.But why? And how deep did Dr. Klein's project intercom go?Kenney’s face turned pale, and his hands began to shake. He stared at his phone, his breath was coming in fast, shallow bursts. His heart raced as panic set in."Fifteen thousand dollars… gone," he stammered, as his voice was barely a whisper. "How could this happen? What… what do we do now?" His hands were trembling, and sweat dotted his forehead. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, feeling dizzy from the shock.Marvin saw the fear in Kenney’s eyes. He knew they had to act fast. Without wasting any time, he turned back to his special laptop. His fingers moved quickly across the holographic keyboard, pulling up t
Dr. Archer Klein sat comfortably in the backseat of a black, luxury sedan. The car was taking him to the Neovalle government complex, where Governor Yohan Webster was waiting to present him with a ten-million-dollar check. This money would fund his project, Intercom, which promised free internet for the whole city. The governor’s support meant everything; with it, Dr. Klein’s plans would move forward without any trouble.Mr. V, who was one of the judges who had backed Dr. Klein, thought it was a good idea for the government to recognize the project. That way, Dr. Klein would have even more supporters, and people would trust him more.When the car pulled up to the government complex, a large group of journalists rushed toward it, cameras were flashing and microphones were held out, eager to get a word from the tech genius. The moment Dr. Klein stepped out, a team of government security officers surrounded him. They were there to keep him safe and to push back the crowd of reporter
Marvin, standing tall and composed in his sleek black suit, looked unfamiliar to almost everyone in the room. Though his demeanor exuded confidence, his presence sparked quiet curiosity among the officials who were gathered at the governor's office.They exchanged puzzled glances, and whispers spread quickly as they tried to figure out who this mysterious man was.Only two men in the room remained unfazed—Dr. Klein and Mr. V. They recognized Marvin immediately, though neither showed any outward reaction.They however wondered why he was here at the governor's office.The tension in the air thickened as the Commissioner of Information and Technology, Mr. Roland, entered the room with Marvin by his side. They walked with purpose, with their arrival interrupting what had been a smooth and celebratory occasion. The governor, Senator Yohan Webster, turned toward Mr. Roland with a raised eyebrow, with surprise flickering across his face."Welcome, Mr. Roland," the governor said, his voic
Governor Webster remained standing, arms folded, his eyes locking on Marvin with a sharp, skeptical glint. He then turned his gaze toward Dr. Klein, with his voice dropping to a cool, measured tone that carried weight."Mr. Marvin," the governor began slowly, as his words were deliberate, "this accusation... it sounds rather outrageous. With the project intercom exhibition, Dr. Klein has been shown that he could instrumental in shaping Neovalle’s tech landscape. Could this... claim of yours stem from resentment? Perhaps losing the Tech Innovation Contest left a bitter taste on you?"Dr. Klein, having gathered himself, nodded quickly, his earlier nervousness started fading into a smug grin. "Precisely, Your Excellency. This is a personal vendetta. Nothing more."Marvin didn’t flinch. His voice, which remained steady and unyielding, sliced through the tension. "No, Your Excellency. This has nothing to do with a contest." His words hung in the air, charged with a quiet power. "I’m here
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