Chapter 321: The Winner

Soon, they arrived at the small hall for the announcement. The room was large enough to seat about fifty people.

Riley was surprised to see nearly all the seats already taken.

All the tender participants had arrived early and were sitting in their assigned spots, including Cresswell Tech.

With only one glance, he saw Kevin Richardson talking seriously with the person beside him, and he looked calm.

For some reason, seeing Kevin there sent a sudden surge of adrenaline through him.

The nervousness he had felt in the car seemed to disappear, replaced by excitement. This was exactly what he had been waiting for. He wanted to see Kevin’s expression when Sterling Tech was announced as the winner.

Riley’s confidence grew as he looked at the other companies around the room. He had prepared for this moment, and he believed everything had gone according to plan.

"Focus, Riley."

William’s voice from behind immediately brought him back to reality.

Riley shifted his gaze away from Kevin and looked toward their assigned seats. His team was already waiting, and several members quickly straightened when they saw him and William approaching.

Before sitting down, Riley leaned slightly toward his father and lowered his voice so only William could hear him.

"Relax, Dad. We’re definitely going to win this."

There was confidence in Riley’s voice, almost as if he was trying to reassure both his father and himself.

He wanted his father to know that he had everything under control. More importantly, he wanted to silence the doubt that had returned to his mind after the unexpected phone call.

William said nothing. He simply walked to his seat and sat down, his expression remaining unreadable. After settling in, he glanced toward the row of empty seats in front of them. The military team, as the committee, had not yet entered the room.

Riley followed his father’s gaze and then looked around the hall once more. The other companies were already waiting, and the atmosphere had become increasingly tense as everyone waited for the committee to enter.

For Riley, the wait only intensified his confidence. He had spent too much time preparing for this moment to allow doubt to take control now. He believed Sterling Tech would be awarded, and he was ready to hear the result.

Soon after, the military committee finally appeared.

The room, filled with quiet conversation and nervous anticipation, gradually fell silent as the high-ranking military officials entered and took their seats at the front, one by one.

Every participant seemed to straighten in their chairs, and even the representatives from the competing companies became noticeably more serious.

Riley sat quietly beside his father, but his attention remained fixed on the officials at the front. The moment one of them stepped forward and opened the event, Riley felt his excitement rise again. This was it. After weeks of preparation, meetings, presentations, and pressure, they were finally about to announce the winner.

’Finally. The moment they’ve been keeping us waiting for.’

A small smile appeared on his face as he leaned back in his chair.

However, his excitement slowly faded as the official continued speaking.

At first, Riley tried to listen politely. He nodded at the appropriate moments and kept his expression serious. Still, after several minutes, he found himself wondering how much longer the introduction could possibly continue.

’Are we here to announce the winner, or are we attending a lecture?’ he thought, keeping his irritation to himself. ’At this rate, someone might need to remind them why we’re all sitting here.’

His eyes briefly moved toward his father, but William remained completely focused on the official. Riley immediately looked forward again.

’Of course, Dad is actually listening.’

Unable to maintain his interest in the long speech, Riley’s gaze gradually wandered across the room until it settled on the representatives from Cresswell Tech.

Kevin Richardson was sitting calmly in his assigned seat, his attention fixed on the official at the front. His expression was composed, almost too composed for someone waiting to hear the result of such an important tender.

Riley studied him for a moment, and a faint, satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

’Savor that calm while it lasts, Kevin,’ he thought. ’I really want to see your face when they announce Sterling Tech as the winner.’

For some reason, imagining Kevin’s disappointment made Riley feel even better. It was not simply about winning the tender anymore. Kevin was his uncle’s best friend, and Riley had been looking forward to proving that he could defeat someone like him.

Just as Riley was about to look away, Kevin suddenly turned his head and met his gaze.

Riley’s smile remained in place.

’You’re really unlucky to be competing against me today,’ he thought, almost amused by his own confidence. He gave Kevin a slightly mocking smile, making no effort to hide the message behind it.

But to Riley’s surprise, Kevin simply smiled back at him.

His smile was warm and calm, showing no sign of nervousness or concern. Not even the slightest.

Riley was so perplexed that his eyebrows drew together.

’What the fuck!? What is he smiling about?’

For a brief moment, Riley wondered if Kevin knew something he did not. However, he quickly dismissed the thought. There was no reason to overthink a simple smile.

’Whatever! Enjoy your last few minutes of confidence.’

Riley shook his head slightly and turned his attention back to the official.

At that moment, the speech finally began to reach the part everyone in the room had been waiting for.

Riley immediately sat straighter.

The room grew quiet again.

"And the winner of the cyber defense tender for the Norvayne Military is..."

The official paused.

Riley’s lips slowly curved into a confident smile. His heart beat faster, but this time it was from excitement rather than nervousness. He could already imagine his team’s reaction when Sterling Tech’s name was announced. He had worked too hard to reach this point, and he had done everything necessary to make sure the result went in his favor.

’Come on. Just say it.’

The pause continued for another few seconds.

Around him, no one spoke. Even the people who had been whispering earlier were now completely silent.

The official finally continued. "Cresswell Technology!"