Chapter 372

Frederick Langley gestured toward the young woman beside him. "This is my PhD candidate, Victoria Kensington."

Along with Victoria, Frederick had brought four other graduate students. Among them, she stood out as the sole representative from Salzburg.

The moment the crowd realized Victoria was Frederick's protégé, waves of envy rippled through the venue.

"Good heavens, she's actually Professor Langley's doctoral student? That's incredible!"

"Not to mention stunningly beautiful. It's like the universe handed her every advantage. How utterly unfair."

"Wait—there's more. She's also Alexander Whitmore's girlfriend."

"No way. I can't handle this. Comparing yourself to others is downright depressing!"

In that instant, Victoria became not just a focal point of the event, but also the object of intense jealousy among the younger attendees.

As whispers spread about her dual status—Frederick's prized student and Alexander's partner—one guest who'd just greeted Frederick turned to Alexander with a teasing grin. "Mr. Whitmore, seems you've hit the jackpot in life, haven't you?"

Alexander offered a polite smile, but before he could respond, Frederick—having just learned his identity—clapped him on the shoulder.

"Not bad at all!" Frederick boomed. "Though I hear you two have been dating for two years. Why no ring yet? Don't tell me you haven't won my student's heart? If that's the case, better step up your game—I'm rooting for you!"

The remark drew hearty laughter from those within earshot.

But not everyone found it amusing.

Isabella Sinclair, Nathaniel Graves, and Julian Montgomery remained stone-faced, as did Dominic Fairchild, who had just arrived.

Dominic's entrance coincided with spotting Frederick holding court beside Victoria.

After an aide briefed him—identifying Frederick as an AI luminary whose decade-long contributions had shaped the field, and more importantly, Victoria's advisor—Dominic's expression darkened.

When Frederick began pressuring Alexander about marriage, Dominic's jaw tightened imperceptibly.

No trace of amusement touched his features.

Isabella and Nathaniel noticed his arrival but pointedly ignored him.

Though disillusioned with Nathaniel, Dominic felt obligated by their business ties and approached with stiff formality.

But unlike previous encounters—where he'd desperately tried to ingratiate himself despite cold shoulders—his tone now carried distinct frost.

Nathaniel didn't bother with pretense either. With a derisive snort, he said, "Mr. Fairchild, if pleasantries pain you, spare us both. Henceforth, outside the boardroom, we're strangers."

Dominic's response came icily. "As you wish, Mr. Graves."

His glare flickered to Isabella with equal venom.

Nathaniel nearly laughed at the sheer audacity.

Just then, Frederick spotted Nathaniel.

Nathaniel's international reputation had preceded him—in fact, he was the primary reason for Frederick's Salzburg visit.

As a legend from AI's pioneering generation, Frederick had been eager to meet this era's rising star.

Without pretense, he strode forward with outstretched hand.

"Mr. Graves, what an honor. Your team's latest breakthrough has captivated me—I've longed for substantive dialogue with you."

Nathaniel's YodaVision had shattered Salzburg's AI monopoly with their Infinite-CM project, leapfrogging competitors and dealing a crippling blow to the industry.

Their achievement had left foreign engineers scrambling. The more desperate they grew, the more they craved insights into Nathaniel's methodology.

Thus, Frederick wasn't alone—countless top-tier engineers worldwide coveted this very opportunity.

The problem? Until now, access had been impossible.

And Frederick wasn't about to waste this chance.