"...Mei Zhang."
The name echoed in the sudden, profound silence.
Then the hall exploded.
A wave of sound—applause, cheers, shouts of disbelief—washed over the stage.
I just sat there, stunned.
Did he really say my name?
Raj leaped to his feet, pulling me up with him, engulfing me in a hug.
"You did it! You actually did it!"
Camera flashes strobed relentlessly from the press section.
People were standing, craning their necks, buzzing with excitement.
The underdog had won.
David had felled Goliath.
I looked towards Blake Reynolds.
His face was pale, his jaw clenched so tight I thought his teeth might crack.
For a split second, the mask of corporate polish slipped, revealing raw, unfiltered fury.
His eyes, when they met mine across the stage, were chips of ice.
Then, just as quickly, the mask was back.
He forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes and began to clap, slowly, deliberately.
The moderator regained control.
"An astonishing result! Let's have a round of applause for both competitors, and especially for our winner, Mei Zhang!"
The applause redoubled.
I felt dizzy, overwhelmed.
Dr. Thorne approached me, extending his hand.
"Congratulations, Ms. Zhang. Truly remarkable work. Elegant, insightful... groundbreaking."
"Thank you, Dr. Thorne," I managed, my voice thick with emotion.
The other judges offered similar praise.
Then, the moderator turned towards Blake, a challenging glint in her eye.
"Mr. Reynolds, according to the terms agreed upon yesterday..."
Blake stood up, smoothing his expensive suit jacket.
He walked to the center of the stage, taking the microphone.
The hall quieted again, eager for the drama.
"Indeed," Blake said, his voice smooth as silk, betraying none of the rage simmering beneath.
"As per our agreement..."
He turned to face me, the forced smile plastered on his face.
"TechNova acknowledges the... superiority... of Ms. Zhang's solution in this specific challenge."
He practically spat the word 'superiority'.
"It's an... interesting... piece of theoretical work."
He was trying to diminish the victory even as he conceded.
"And," he continued, turning to the audience, "as agreed, TechNova will formally recommend Ms. Zhang's algorithm to the Educational Access Consortium for their consideration."
He delivered the lines like a hostage reading a script.
The humiliation was palpable, radiating off him in waves.
He handed the microphone back and strode off the stage without a backward glance, his team scrambling behind him.
The press surged forward, surrounding me, microphones thrust in my face, questions flying.
"Ms. Zhang, how does it feel?"
"What's next for your algorithm?"
"Are you starting your own company?"
"Will you work with TechNova?"
Raj helped shield me, guiding me through the throng.
My phone was buzzing incessantly in my pocket – calls, texts, social media notifications exploding.
It was chaos, exhilarating and terrifying.
We finally made it backstage, the noise fading slightly.
"Well," a calm voice said.
Elena Vasquez stood there, leaning against a wall, that knowing smile back on her face.
"That was even more entertaining than I'd anticipated."
She pushed off the wall and walked towards me.
"Congratulations, Mei. You didn't just win a challenge. You shifted a paradigm."
Her praise felt different, weightier than the judges' or the media's.
"Thank you, Ms. Vasquez," I said, still catching my breath.
"For the room. For the... belief?"
"My belief is in innovation, Mei," she replied.
"And you delivered."
She paused, her expression turning serious.
"Blake Reynolds made you an offer yesterday – a consulting contract."
I nodded.
"Insulting, wasn't it?"
"Yes," I agreed.
"Good," Elena said.
"Because I have a different kind of offer for you."
Her eyes held mine, intense and full of possibility.
"Something far more substantial."
My heart, which had just started to calm down, began to race again.
What was she proposing?