chapter1242

He looked like someone important. The way he carried himself, plus this fancy hotel, screamed money.

Was Lydia really being kept by him?

Once the idea popped into their heads, it just wouldn't go away.

Lydia stood by the huge window, laptop open. The first slide on her screen read, "An Analysis of Al-Assisted Surgical Systems," bold and impossible to miss.

She grabbed her laser pointer, fingers flying over the keyboard. A 3D video of a surgery started playing on the big white screen. "Question thirty-seven from this morning's exam. It was about the calibration error on the robotic arm. Who got it wrong?"

A couple of people in the front row ducked their heads, looking embarrassed.

Lydia hit pause on the video. The red dot of her laser circled a joint on the robotic arm. This part is all about the force feedback algorithm. I'll explain the basics first, then we'll work through the formulas together."

She waited for a moment, then added, "But let me just say this. If you think this is a waste of time, you can leave now. I don't want to see anyone whispering or getting distracted."

Yara bit her lip, ready to say something, but Marilyn tugged on her sleeve. They looked at each other and ended up taking seats in the back row.

For the next two hours, Lydia talked through everything without glancing at any notes. She covered everything from how Al analyzes medical records to the algorithms for robotic surgery. Her logic was crystal clear the whole way through.

Connor leaned against the sofa nearby, quietly handing her a pen or bringing her a glass of water when she needed it. His eyes stayed on her, watching the way she focused on her lecture. Every now and then, he'd move her chair or help her out, his movements smooth and effortless.

"This afternoon, we're focusing on clinical scenarios, Lydia said. "We'll start practicing how to present."

As soon as she finished, everyone tensed up, like they were back in the exam room all over again.

Lydia glanced around the room. "I'll play the role of the review panel and ask questions. Who wants to go first?

Silence hung in the air for a second before someone finally raised their hand. "Lydia,

I want to try..."

It was Peyton.

She genuinely admired Lydia. She couldn't believe how someone their age could know more than actual professors. It almost didn't seem real.

Lydia nodded. Okay, imagine you're the lead surgeon, and suddenly the robot loses power. What do you do?"

Peyton took a deep breath,

remembering the emergency procedures from the training just now. Her voice came out steadier than she expected. First'd switch on the backup power, then move to manual mode, and keep a record of the current stage of the surgery..."

That's good, Lydia said, cutting in, her eyes showing a trace of approval.

"But there's one thing you missed. You need to notify the anesthesiologist to extend the anesthesia Otherwise, the patient might wake up too soon and get hurt."

She picked up a red marker and wrote Teamwork on the whiteboard.

"Robotic surgery is never a one-person show. You all need to remember that."

Time passed quickly. By the time the last person finished their mock presentation, the clock had already hit 2:05.

"Alright, that's it for today. Go check your results. If you made it to the next round, let's keep pushing forward together."

In that moment, Lydia wasn't just another student. She felt like a real professor, someone who actually knew her stuff.

Marilyn and Yara, who'd come hoping to see Lydia mess up, were completely stunned.

They had never expected Lydia to actually know so much about robotic surgery. How could that even be possible?

Maybe she had some inside information. Maybe she found out what would be on the test.

Yeah, that had to be it. She was Mr. Moore's personal student, and Mr. Moore was a big deal in the World Medical Association...

The more they thought about it, the more it made sense. Otherwise, how could she know things that none of them did?

Still, they didn't say anything in front of everyone.

No wonder she was so confident about making the top three. She must have known the answers already.

When everyone got to the

competition hall and saw the list of

winners scrolling across the

electronic board, Peyton suddenly

pointed and shouted Oh my god! Lydia, you're in first place!"