Chapter 323: Objection!

"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."

Riley’s tone remained respectful, but there was no hesitation in his words. He knew he was taking a risk by continuing to question the committee, especially with his father sitting behind him.

Still, he needed an answer. If Cresswell Tech had genuinely submitted a better proposal, then he wanted to know exactly where Sterling Tech had fallen short.

The military attendants seated behind the official began exchanging quiet words after hearing Riley’s statement. Their discussion was brief, but Riley noticed the change immediately. He watched them carefully, hoping their reaction meant the committee was at least willing to consider his request.

For the first time since the announcement, a little hope returned to him.

’Good. At least they’re discussing it.’

Riley kept his expression neutral, even though his mind was already moving ahead. He simply wanted to see Cresswell Tech’s proposal and find out whether it was actually better than Sterling Tech’s.

’If their proposal is really a lot better than ours, then fine. I’ll accept it. But if it isn’t, then I want to know how they won.’

That was all Riley wanted at that moment: an explanation that made sense. And as he watched the military officials continue their discussion, he quietly waited for the answer.

Before the official could say anything, Kevin Richardson suddenly stood from his seat and raised his hand.

"Excuse me, sir. May I speak?" he asked loudly enough to draw everyone’s attention toward him.

"Yes, you can," the official replied, gesturing for him to continue.

"First of all, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kevin Richardson, and I am the CEO of Cresswell Technology."

The room fell silent for a moment. Several attendees looked surprised that Kevin had decided to speak up, especially after Riley had just challenged the committee’s decision.

Kevin remained calm as he continued, "I respect the jury’s decision in selecting the winning bidder, and I also respect the rules stated in the document we signed beforehand."

He paused and briefly looked at Riley before turning his attention back toward the officials.

"However, if Sterling Tech questions our proposal and wants to see it opened here, we just wanted to be noted in this meeting here that we don’t mind, but the decision is all yours, sir."

He paused again, and this time, a warm smile appeared on his face. There was no anger in his expression, and he acted as though Riley’s request was perfectly reasonable rather than an accusation against his company.

"Perhaps after seeing it, they will understand that we deserve the contract," Kevin concluded with a slight bow before returning to his chair.

His expression remained calm despite the curious stares from the other participants and the sharp glare Riley directed at him. Instead of looking worried about having his proposal examined, he seemed completely comfortable.

That confidence bothered Riley.

"Thank you, Mr. Richardson," the official said with a small smile. He then turned toward the other officials and exchanged a few words with them.

After a short discussion, the official looked toward the room again. "Very well. Since the winner has stated they don’t have any objection to letting other participants see their presentation, we will play video footage from Cresswell Tech’s presentation."

The room immediately came alive again as the participants began talking among themselves. Everyone seemed curious about what they were about to see, especially after Riley had openly questioned the winning proposal.

"Wow, I can’t believe Riley Sterling pulled it off. The officials actually agreed to reveal it," a man whispered to his friend.

Another man leaned closer and lowered his voice. "What if their presentation was bad and they won only because they bribed the committee?"

"Damn, man. You can’t say that here. You might get yourself into trouble."

"Well, man, I’m just saying."

"I don’t think they would cancel it. Look, Mr. Richardson seems so confident."

"Yeah, he looks pretty confident about their presentation."

"True, especially considering they could have simply rejected Sterling’s request," someone else added.

Riley heard the comments but paid them little attention. Instead, he sat back and waited for the video to begin. A small smile formed on his lips as he thought about what was about to happen.

He wanted to see Cresswell Tech’s presentation for himself. If their proposal was similar to Sterling Tech’s, then he would finally have a legitimate reason to object. He had already been questioning how Cresswell had won. If their idea turned out to be the same as his company’s, he would not hesitate to accuse them of copying.

’Let’s see what you’ve got, Kevin.’

Riley kept his eyes on the screen as the lights in the room dimmed slightly. The video footage finally began to play.

Cresswell Tech’s IT director appeared on the screen and briefly introduced the presentation. He explained the basic purpose of their proposal before moving on to the main slides.

As the first few slides appeared, Riley’s expression changed. His eyes widened as he stared at the screen.

He recognized the structure immediately.

The next slide appeared, and the feeling became even stronger.

It was the same as theirs. Not just similar. The presentation was almost identical.

The layout had been modified, and some of the wording was different, but the core concept was clearly the same.

For a moment, Riley simply stared at the screen.

Then, a surge of satisfaction rushed through him.

’There it is.’

He almost wanted to laugh.

’I can accuse them of using the same idea...’

After everything that had happened, Riley finally felt as though the situation had turned in his favor. He had been questioning the committee’s decision, and now he had something concrete to point to. If Cresswell Tech had used the same concept as Sterling Tech, then how could the committee possibly justify choosing them? They are the first ones to present the idea.

Riley immediately raised his hand.

The video was paused.

The official turned toward him, and his expression became visibly displeased.

"Sir, Cresswell’s presentation idea is the same as ours," Riley said seriously. "How could you choose them when our ideas are identical?"