Chapter 220: The Humiliation
Zachary stood tall on the podium and declared proudly, his voice booming with confidence, "This AI system will revolutionize the business world. Everyone will reap the benefits. Now, let’s watch a demo to see how it works."
He gestured to his assistant, who quickly began running the program.
The demonstration started smoothly, and Zachary’s pride grew with every passing second. On the other side of the hall, Nathaniel observed the presentation intently, his lips curving into a faint, knowing smile. He was certain that this moment of triumph would soon crumble. In just a few minutes, Zachary’s pride would be lying in ruins.
People inside the hall seemed impressed with the introduction and were eager to see how the AI tackled small issues with apparent ease. Whispers of admiration spread through the hall, faces lighting up with interest. The initial success made Zachary’s chest swell with satisfaction.
"If anyone has a query, feel free to test it," he announced, his confidence brimming. "This system can handle both simple and complex problems flawlessly."
Some of the guests raised their hands and began feeding in their questions. But within moments, the system started showing errors. The AI’s responses were faulty, offering solutions that didn’t make sense.
Confusion spread through the audience, murmurs growing louder as disappointment replaced their excitement.
"This system is flawed," one man spoke out sharply. "It’s full of errors. How is this supposed to help us?"
Others chimed in, some shaking their heads, some scoffing outright. Their initial interest turned into skepticism, even disdain. Some of them dismissed the product altogether, while others criticized it.
On stage, Zachary’s composure began to crumble. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead as the murmurs of dissatisfaction grew louder around the hall.
Anger surged within him. He shot a sharp glare at his assistant, urging him with his eyes to fix the glitch immediately.
But the errors were beyond repair. The assistant looked pale and fumbled nervously with the system. His trembling hands betrayed his panic as he dabbed at his damp forehead. The more he tried, the worse it seemed to get.
Zara watched everything with growing curiosity. Her gaze flicked toward Nathaniel, only to catch the slight curve of a smirk tugging at his lips. Something in his expression made her suspicion sharpen.
Narrowing her eyes, she asked quietly, "What’s going on with your uncle? His system isn’t functioning properly. Didn’t he test it beforehand? Such humiliation... Surely, he should’ve checked it carefully before presenting. Or... did someone tamper with his program?"
Nathaniel’s smirk deepened. "I don’t know," he said casually. "It’s his failure."
Zara’s stomach twisted as an uneasy thought flashed through her mind. "But what if the same thing happens to your system?" she asked cautiously. "What if yours shows errors too?"
Nathaniel didn’t answer her directly. This was precisely what he and Ian had planned.
Zachary had tried to steal his project. So they let him steal it, but not the original one. They had replaced it with the faulty one. It worked fine on simple tasks but faltered when pressed with complex or repeated queries.
Nathaniel’s team had worked day and night to resolve every flaw and had finally developed the system until it was flawless. What Zachary believed to be his triumph was nothing more than a trap Nathaniel had laid to disgrace him in front of the entire business elite.
"My team tested everything repeatedly before it was finalized," Nathaniel said with confidence. "I personally went over every detail. There is no issue with my system."
"Thank goodness," Zara exhaled in relief, her tense shoulders softening. "I don’t want you to suffer such humiliation."
He gave her a reassuring smile, his hand sliding over hers. "Don’t worry. You’ll be proud of me."
Zara smiled, finally relieved. But at the next table, Riya shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She had come expecting Nathaniel’s embarrassment, not Zachary’s disgrace. People’s mocking remarks hit her ears, making her feel even worse. Rage flared inside her—she wished she could silence them all.
"Why is he still standing there?" Liam muttered under his breath, loud enough for others to catch. "Bringing such a faulty system to a prestigious seminar... is he treating this event like a joke?"
His remark spread like wildfire. Guests began voicing their frustration openly, some shaking their heads, others raising their voices in disdain.
"Enough of this nonsense!" one man barked. "Step down—you are wasting our time."
"Yes, let others present. We don’t need this farce," another chimed in.
The atmosphere turned hostile.
Zachary’s face turned red with humiliation and seething anger. He had expected victory, convinced he had stolen Nathaniel’s spotlight. Instead, his confidence had turned to ashes in front of everyone.
Unable to endure more, he stormed down from the stage, his strides heavy with rage. As he passed Nathaniel’s table, he halted for a brief moment, locking eyes with his nephew.
Nathaniel shot him a sharp look as if challenging him.
Zachary clenched his jaw, clearly understanding Nathaniel had fooled him this time. He strode out of the hall briskly.
Watching Zachary storm out, Riya grew more and more unsettled. Her chest tightened with unease until she couldn’t sit still any longer. She shot up from her seat, determined to follow him, not caring about who was sitting beside her.
"Where are you going?" Liam asked, halting her steps.
"I..." Riya faltered, scrambling for an excuse. She couldn’t admit she was chasing after Zachary. Forcing a small smile, she said, "I’ll go to the restroom. I’ll be back soon."
She flashed a tight smile at him before walking away.
Liam studied her, his brows knitting together as she slipped away. ’Why does she look so rattled?’ he thought.
Suspicion prickled inside him. He knew Riya too well. Her actions clearly showed that she was hiding something. His mind flashed to Zara. Could she be scheming against her again?
Glancing toward Nathaniel’s table, Liam noticed Zara’s enthusiasm. She clapped eagerly with vigor as Nathaniel stepped onto the stage.
Liam was aware that today was a big day for Nathaniel. He doubted whether Riya was out there to sabotage Nathaniel’s project.
Driven by unease, Liam rose from his chair and headed out. His first stop was the restroom, but there was no sign of her. Tension coiled in his gut as he quickened his search.
Meanwhile, outside in the parking lot, Riya spotted Zachary in his car. Relief and urgency blended as she rushed to him, knocking on the window.
The door unlocked, and she quickly slid into the seat beside him.
"Zachary, are you okay?" she asked.
But Zachary sat in stony silence, staring ahead, his expression solemn.
Her face fell. She had never seen him this shaken before. For the first time, she felt genuine pity for him.
"I know you are upset," she ventured cautiously. "Please say something. Don’t hold it all in. Let it out. If you want to yell, then yell." She searched his face, desperately trying to gauge his feelings.
Zachary remained seated sullenly, not uttering a word.
Riya’s uneasiness only deepened. She feared that if Zachary kept bottling up his rage, he might snap and do something reckless—maybe even harm himself. His pride had been shattered in front of everyone.
Some had mocked him outright, others had criticized him harshly. The humiliation was crushing; she wasn’t sure he could withstand it.
"It’s only one project," she tried to console him softly. "So what if this time didn’t go well? Next time, you’ll succeed. I believe in you."
"This isn’t just a project," Zachary finally spoke, his eyes bloodshot. "It’s my challenge, my pride, my dream—to dominate the nation. And now...it’s all in ruins."
His fists clenched and trembled on his knees, his whole body taut with suppressed fury. He was furious with his team, with himself. He had been so certain of success that he hadn’t double-checked every detail. His team had run tests, seen the system handle issues correctly, and carelessly assumed it was flawless. None of them suspected it was faulty.
He had been convinced this would be his trump card—that by unveiling the same AI Nathaniel had worked so hard to perfect, he would crush him completely. He had wanted to watch Nathaniel break.
He thought he would shock Nathaniel by launching the same system that he had painstakingly developed. He was almost sure that Nathaniel would be devastated. He wanted to see how Nathaniel would react. But instead, his action backfired. The humiliation he had meant for Nathaniel had fallen squarely on him.
He was sure Nathaniel had played a trick. The realization seared his pride, leaving him burning inside.
"This project isn’t just another product," he said through gritted teeth. "Whoever unveiled it first would reap all the rewards. I lost that chance. Even if I build it later, the advantage is gone. The benefit is his now, and mine is lost forever."
Riya could hear the disappointment and defeat in his tone. She felt sorry for him. Her heart ached for him. A man so proud, who never once lowered himself to say sorry, had been utterly disgraced in front of everyone. She couldn’t even begin to fathom the pain and turmoil clawing at him inside.
"How could this happen?" she asked gently. "Didn’t you check everything thoroughly before the presentation? Or...do you think someone tampered with the system? Could it be foul play?"