57 Zachary’s Sharp Judgment.
57 Zachary’s Sharp Judgment
News of Zachary Newman’s presence spread like wildfire through the exhibition hall. Business executives and tech enthusiasts rushed forward, forming an eager crowd around the renowned professor. The commotion drew attention from all corners of
the venue.
Vivienne stood beside Damien, observing the scene with calculated restraint. Unlike others scrambling for Newman’s attention, she maintained her composure.
“Shouldn’t we join them?” asked Aunt Lennox, nodding toward the growing crowd.
Vivienne smiled politely. “Damien suggested we arrange a private meeting with Professor Newman later. It’s more productive than competing for thirty seconds of his time right now.”
Her aunt raised an eyebrow, impressed. “How strategic. That’s the Thorne approach,
isn’t it?”
“Precisely,” Vivienne confirmed. “Quality over quantity.”
From across the room, Marcus Wellington, CEO of Wellington Technologies,
pproached them. “Ms. Dubois, wonderful presentation yesterday. Your analysis of neural pathway efficiency was remarkable.”
“Thank you,” Vivienne replied smoothly. “I’m hoping to implement some of those concepts in our upcoming projects.”
“Our projects,” Wellington noted with a knowing smile. “You’ve certainly secured your position at Thorne Industries quickly. Impressive trajectory.”
Damien placed his hand on Vivienne’s lower back. “Ms. Dubois earned her place through merit. Her doctoral work caught my attention long before our personal relationship developed.”
Wellington nodded respectfully. “No doubt. I’ve followed her publications. Brilliant mind combined with uncommon composure–a rare combination in our field.”
Several other business magnates joined their conversation circle, each acknowledging Vivienne with newfound respect. She navigated the interaction flawlessly, balancing technical insights with charming remarks.
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Meanwhile, across the exhibition hall, Elara and Julian stood examining holographic displays of their latest algorithms. Their conversation focused entirely on the technical aspects of their presentation. D
“The quantum response time looks promising,” Julian noted, adjusting a parameter on the display. “Better than our initial projections.”
Elara nodded. “The adaptive learning module is integrating well with the new framework. These results validate our approach.”
They continued their technical discussion, unbothered by the commotion surrounding Newman. Unlike most attendees, they didn’t need to clamor for his attention or impress random executives.
After twenty minutes of being surrounded by admirers, Newman checked his watch and made a brief announcement. “I need to depart shortly. Thank you for the
welcome.”
His statement sent a ripple of disappointment through the crowd. People quickly tried to make final impressions, handing business cards and making hasty pitches.
Julian’s phone buzzed with a message. He read it quickly, then turned to Elara. “We need to head to the parking lot.”
ow?” Elara asked, looking up from her tablet.
“Yes. It’s important,” he replied quietly.
They gathered their materials efficiently and made their way toward the exit. As they passed near Damien and Vivienne’s group, Elara noticed Vivienne’s puzzled expression watching their departure.
The parking area was nearly empty when they arrived. A sleek black sedan waited at the far end, its engine humming softly.
Standing beside it was Zachary Newman.
Julian and Elara approached him with measured steps. No rushing, no excessive eagerness–just professional/courtesy.
“Professor Newman,” Julian greeted.
Newman nodded curtly. His gaze shifted to Elara. “Ms. Vance. You were in my
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Advanced Neural Computing seminar at MIT. Third row, right side. You challenged my parallel processing theorem with counter–examples.
Elara smiled slightly, surprised he remembered. “Yes, that was me.”
“Your exhibit,” Newman said, gesturing vaguely toward the building they’d just left. “The adaptive quantum learning module. Interesting approach.
“Thank you,” Elara replied. “We’ve been working to improve the integration between-”
“It’s underdeveloped, Newman interrupted coldly. “The pattern recognition algorithms are promising but fundamentally flawed in their current implementation.
Julian stiffened beside Elara. “We’re still refining certain aspects-”
“Three years,” Newman said, his voice cutting through the evening air. “Three years since you founded YodaVision. Three years of development.” His piercing gaze moved between them, calculating and critical. “Three years, and this is all you’ve accomplished?”
The question hung in the air like a guillotine. Elara felt her heart rate increase but kept her expression neutral. This wasn’t just a casual critique–this was Zachary Newman directly challenging their work, their progress, their very worth in the field.
“We’ve been methodical in our approach, Elara replied evenly. “Quality over speed.”
“A convenient excuse for lack of progress,” Newman countered. “Your competitors have developed similar technologies in half the time.”
Julian stepped forward. “With respect, Professor, our framework approaches the problem differently. We’re building a more robust foundation that-”
“I’m not interested in explanations,” Newman interrupted. “Results speak for
themselves.”
Elara took a deep breath. “Then perhaps you’d be interested in seeing our complete progress rather than just the public exhibition version.”
Newman’s eyebrow raised slightly–the closest thing to surprise he’d shown all evening. “Explain.”
“What we’ve presented here is the commercially viable portion,” Elara continued confidently. “Our more experimental work wouldn’t be appropriate for this setting.”
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“Because it’s unstable?” Newman challenged.
“Because it’s revolutionary, Elara countered. “And not ready for public scrutiny.”
A flicker of something–possibly interest–crossed Newman’s typically impassive face. “Bold claim, Ms. Vance.”
“Based on evidence, not bravado,” she replied.
Newman checked his watch again. “I have a dinner engagement in thirty minutes. Tomorrow morning, 7 AM. My hotel. Bring your evidence” He handed Julian a business card with a room number scribbled on the back.
Without waiting for their response, Newman opened his car door. Before sliding inside, he fixed Elara with one last penetrating look. “Don’t waste my time, Ms. Vance. I don’t offer second chances.”
The car pulled away, leaving Elara and Julian standing in stunned silence. After a moment, Julian exhaled loudly.
“Well, that
was… intense,” he said.
Elara nodded slowly. “He’s always been that way. Direct to the point of brutality.”
He remembered you from a class that must have had hundreds of students,” Julian
noted.
“I made an impression by proving him wrong,” Elara replied. “Newman respects intellectual challenges, not flattery.”
Julian glanced at the card in his hand. “7 AM tomorrow. That doesn’t give us much time
to prepare.”
“Then we should get started immediately,” Elara said, already walking toward their car. “We’ll need the complete prototype demonstration and all our research data.”
“This could be huge for us, you know,” Julian said, keeping pace with her. “Newman’s endorsement would put YodaVision in a different league entirely.”
“Or his criticism could set us back significantly,” Elara reminded him. “But either way, we face it head–on.”
As they reached their vehicle, Elara glanced back at the exhibition hall. Through the
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large windows, she could see Vivienne still working the room, Damien at her side. They looked perfectly in sync–power couple commanding attention effortlessly.
But tonight, Elara realized, she and Julian had something more valuable than social capital. They had Zachary Newman’s interest. And in their industry, that was worth more than all the networking connections combined.
“Let’s go, she said resolutely. “We have work to do?
As they drove away, Elara’s mind was already racing through preparations for tomorrow’s meeting. Newman’s challenge echoed in her thoughts: “Three years, and this is all you’ve accomplished?”
By tomorrow morning, she would show him exactly what they had accomplished–and what they were capable of achieving next.
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