Chapter 745
On Monday morning, right after Charlene stepped out of a meeting at the office, her phone rang.
It was Stewart.
The second she answered, his excited voice blasted through the speaker. “Charlene, the list for this year’s National Al Science & Technology Award is finally out! You won! Congratulations p>
Charlene paused in surprise before a bright smile spread across her face. “That’s amazing. I’ll check the official website in a bit p>
The news of her victory had already circulated around the company. Before she could even load the site, Gaylord Hearst and her other colleagues were flooding her with congratulations.
Vesta and her social circle caught wind of Charlene’s award almost immediately as well.
At first, most people in the Hawkins family and the Spencer family didn’t grasp the true significance of the award. It wasn’t until they saw the massive wave of online praise and realized the sheer prestige attached to it that a bitter sense of resentment began to fester in their chests.
To make matters worse, as netizens discussed her national win, many began speculating that Charlene was also a shoo-in for the International Award for Outstanding Young Scholars.
That particular honor was an incredibly rare feat within the country, carrying immense global weight.
And to top it off, Charlene was only in her twenties.
Securing such a heavyweight international accolade at such a young age meant her future in the industry would be utterly limitless.
The internet buzzed with overwhelming pride, with everyone eagerly awaiting the official announcement from the World Al Conference Committee.
Just as the public had predicted, two days later, the World Al Conference Committee released this year’s roster of winners. Charlene’s name was officially on the list.
Overnight, Charlene Ross became the number one trending topic online.
Charlene had been too swamped with work to monitor the internet; she heard all the breaking news from the people around her.
Shortly after the public announcement, she received a formal invitation from the organizers to attend the award ceremony.
On top of that, dozens of media outlets were clamoring for interviews. For the next few days, Charlene was absolutely slammed.
By Saturday, Kenton Wagner had a rare day off.
His reaction to Charlene’s double victory was quite mild.
Truthfully, he had fully expected her to sweep both awards.
Kenton didn’t often get the chance to dine with high-profile figures like Abelard Ramirez and Geoffrey.
But this Saturday, their schedules aligned perfectly. They invited Charlene and Stewart out for a celebratory dinner.
Seeing her walk in, Abelard and Geoffrey both smiled warmly. “We heard the news about the awards. Congratulations p>
“Thank you,” Charlene replied graciously.
After their meal, the group relocated to an upscale teahouse to relax and chat.
As they enjoyed their drinks,
someone recognized the powerhouses at the table. A
waitress tentatively approachnet
unable to hide her awe. “Mr. Wagner would it be alright if I took a photo with your group p>
Charlene and Kenton easily agreed.
Overjoyed to be in the presence of so many industry titans, the waitress practically vibrated with excitement as she asked, “Is it okay if I post this online p>
Charlene and Stewart didn’t mind at all.
Geoffrey and Abelard felt the same; it was just a casual gathering, nothing secretive. Seeing the girl’s sheer enthusiasm, they chuckled. “Go right ahead p>
Noticing that Kenton hadn’t answered yet, the waitress looked at him hopefully.
Kenton, equally indifferent to the exposure, gave a polite nod. “That’s fine p>
Thrilled, the waitress snapped the picture and immediately uploaded it to social media.
It barely took any time before the photo went completely viral.
The internet exploded in absolute shock at the sight of it.
“What the actual hell? How are all these legends in one single frame? Half of them dont even operate m the same circles, and they’re just casually hanging out p>
“I guess it’s true what they say-titans only run with other titans p>
าวน
Corinne Lancaster knew nothing about artificial intelligence, nor did she grasp the true weight of Charlene’s recent awards But seeing charlene rubbing shoulders with such terrifyingly powerful figures left her utterly speechless.