Chapter 322: The Decision Is Final

The official finally continued. "Cresswell Technology!"

For a moment, Riley did not react.

The name seemed to reach his ears, but his mind refused to understand it.

Then the room suddenly came alive.

Thunderous applause broke out from the Cresswell Tech camp. Several people stood from their seats, shaking hands and congratulating one another. At the same time, excited voices filled that side of the room. Kevin remained composed, but there was now a clear sense of satisfaction in his expression.

On the other side of the hall, sighs and disappointed murmurs rose from the losing companies.

Except for Sterling Tech’s team. They seemed completely frozen.

Riley remained seated, his hands resting on his lap as his fingers slowly clenched into fists. His eyes stayed fixed on the official who had made the announcement, as if he were waiting for him to correct himself.

’Cresswell Tech?’

The thought repeated in his mind.

’I must have misheard.’

But no one corrected the announcement.

The applause continued even louder.

Cresswell Tech was still celebrating. And Kevin was still sitting there with that same calm expression that Riley had been mocking only moments earlier.

Riley felt the confidence he had carried into the room begin to disappear. His thoughts became increasingly restless as he tried to understand what had gone wrong.

’No. That’s impossible... How could they win? We were the first to present the proposal we took from them. Why did the committee decide the winner in their favor?’

Besides, they had been told that Sterling Tech was the favored candidate. He had spent a considerable amount of money making sure the right people supported their proposal. Everything had been arranged carefully.

’So how did Cresswell Tech win?’

His frown deepened.

’Creswell must have bribed the officials too. Ugh! I need to see their presentation, and I’ll make sure to file a protest!’

The world around him seemed to grow distant as questions continued to fill his mind. He could hear voices and applause, but none of it mattered. All he could think about was the announcement and how it had completely destroyed the result he expected.

Then William Sterling’s cold voice broke through his thoughts.

"So, is this what you meant when you said we were guaranteed to win?"

Riley slowly turned his head toward his father.

There was no need for William to raise his voice. His disappointment was clear in his calm tone, which made Riley feel even more uncomfortable. A few minutes earlier, he had leaned toward his father with complete confidence and told him that Sterling Tech would definitely win.

Now, he had nothing to say.

Riley clenched his hands more tightly, his knuckles turning white. He no longer cared whether his fingernails were pressing painfully into his palms. The physical discomfort meant nothing compared to the humiliation and anger building inside him.

He could not accept this defeat because he believed something was wrong.

There had to be a reason why Cresswell won this tender.

"Congratulations to Cresswell Tech," the official continued as the applause gradually settled. "We will officially sign the contract—"

"Excuse me, sir."

Riley raised his hand and suddenly stood up, interrupting the official before he could finish.

His action immediately drew everyone’s attention.

The room, filled with congratulations and quiet conversation a minute ago, now fell silent again.

A few people exchanged confused looks as faint whispers spread among the participants.

Riley could feel every pair of eyes turning toward him, including his father’s.

Kevin also looked at him.

Riley ignored them all and kept his eyes on the military official. His heart still beat heavily, but this time it wasn’t from excitement. Anger, confusion, and disbelief mixed, making it impossible for him to stay seated and pretend he accepted the result.

The official looked at him with a serious expression. "Is there something you would like to say, Mr. Sterling?"

Riley took a slow breath, trying to keep his voice steady despite the frustration rising inside him.

"Yes, sir," Riley started. "I believe Sterling Tech deserves to understand the decision that was made..."

The room remained quiet as he continued.

"We need to know why you awarded Cresswell Tech the contract. Why did you choose their mediocre proposal as the winner of this tender?" Riley’s voice was firm, but beneath his controlled tone, his mind was still racing.

’There has to be something I don’t know. There is no way everything went exactly as planned, only for Cresswell Tech to walk away with the contract.’

He stood there without moving, waiting for the official’s response while the silence in the room grew heavier. This was no longer the victory Riley had expected to celebrate. Instead, he had just placed himself in front of everyone and challenged the decision that had changed the entire course of his plan.

The official’s jaw tightened. He adjusted his glasses, then looked directly at Riley, his expression growing noticeably colder. "Mr. Sterling, you are aware that the committee’s decision is final. As a tender participant, you have no right to question our decision."

Faint murmurs immediately spread among the other participants. Some people exchanged amused looks, while others quietly commented on Riley’s decision to challenge the committee in front of everyone.

"That’s right. Exactly. Deciding the winner is the committee’s absolute prerogative," one person whispered.

"Why the hell does Sterling Tech seem unable to accept this announcement?"

"It’s laughable. The Sterling Tech CEO is actually questioning the decision..."

More whispers followed, and Riley could feel the attention in the room shifting toward him.

Everyone seemed to have an opinion about what he had just done, but Riley did not care. He had already spoken up, and there was no point pretending he had not. More importantly, he could not simply sit down and accept a result that made no sense to him.

He kept his attention on the official and replied calmly, "Sir, I’m aware of that. But we also have the right to know why you chose Cresswell Tech, especially since this is an open tender, not a closed one. I just want to be sure no one is cheating here."