The morning was buzzing with excitement as journalists hurried inside the press release room, their cameras shing as they went. It was clear this was a big day for Metacortex. The seats were filling fast, and people whispered to each other about what might be revealed. Meanwhile, outside, udia Wright''s car rolled up to the entrance. The driver stepped out, opening the door for her. udia, dressed in a sleek ck dress that screamed "CEO in charge," stepped out, looking both confident and calm. She paused for a moment, taking in


    the scene, then made her way inside the building.


    Backstage, ire Peterson was getting ready, fiddling with her clip-on mic. The director, a man who always seemed to be waving his hands around dramatically, motioned to her. "ire, you''re up!" he whispered in an overly intense way as if she hadn''t noticed. ire took a deep breath and straightened her white pantsuit. She wasn''t exactly the type to enjoy public speaking, but today was important. She stepped out onto the stage, her bright camera-ready smile in full force, and waved at the people in the room. The pping started almost immediately, a sea of handsing together in support. ire nodded and waited patiently for the noise to die down. As soon as it did, she adjusted her mic, leaning slightly forward.


    "Good morning, everyone! Thanks so much for being here," she began, her voice smooth. "I know, I know. Some of you are probably surprised to see me up here. Usually, I''m the type to stay behind a desk, not give speeches." The audience chuckled. She was right. ire was more of a behind-the-scenes person, and they knew it.


    ire smiled at the reaction, letting theughter die down before continuing. "But, my very trusted colleague, Jack Wilson," she gestured toward a man sitting in the front row, and the spotlight dramatically swung toward him, "thought it was about time I stepped into the spotlight-literally." The crowd pped again, and Jack gave a sheepish wave.


    "So, Jack suggested this press release," ire went on, giving him a side-eye with a teasing smile. "And I thought, ''Why? What''s the big deal?'' And Jack said, ''Well, ire, we don''t want anyone stealing your ideas." She paused, eyes scanning the room. "And I thought, you know, he''s got a point. No one would dare steal my ideas, right?" She joked, raising an eyebrow.


    The crowd chuckled again. ire''s yful tone kept things light, but there was a sharp edge to the joke that didn''t go unnoticed by some.


    Frank and Robert, sitting toward the back, exchanged a nce. ire''sment had felt a bit too close to home. They both knew the under-the-radarpetition between Venus AMD and Metacortex, but it seemed ire wasn''t about to y nice today.


    "Anyway," ire continued, "I figured, better safe than sorry, right? So here we are. And today, I''m excited to reveal something we''ve been working on for the past few months. It''s a project that honestly came out of nowhere for me, but Mr. Alexander Harris trusted me with it, and well, when the boss trusts you, you kinda have to run with it." She grinned, and the crowd responded with a few knowing nods.


    Everyone understood the pressure of pleasing a big boss.


    "Ladies and gentlemen," ire said, taking a deep breath for dramatic effect, "I''m proud to introduce you to the Metacortex Robo." With a smooth motion, the curtain behind her lifted, revealing her team standing next to a sleek, humanoid robot. The room buzzed with excitement, and cameras clicked rapidly.


    "This," ire said, pointing to the robot, "is the future of hospitality. Our robot will be weing guests at Mr. Harris''s new hotel in Vegas. It''s designed to assist with everything a guest might need-directions, rmendations, you name it, it can do it." The robot, as if on cue, shed a digital smiley face, and the crowd erupted inughter. ire couldn''t help but smile too. The little detail had been her idea, and it was already winning people over.


    "And don''t worry," ire continued, "this isn''t some rogue Al that''s going to take over the world. We''ve got it under constant surveince, and with our Cortex 2.0 system, it''spletely secure from hacks or errors. Oh, and it''s also water-resistant." She gave the robot a yful pat, and the crowd chuckled again.


    Feeling the moment was right, ire decided to show off a bit. "Let''s give it a test, shall we?" She turned to the robot and asked, "Can you tell me the fastest route to Metacortex headquarters?"


    The robot whirred to life, its smooth voice responding, "The fastest route is via the main highway, estimated travel time, 45 minutes depending on traffic."


    ire turned back to the audience with a ''see what I mean?'' expression, and they erupted into excited murmurs. She loved this part-the reveal, the reaction, the buzz in the air. It was everything she''d hoped for.


    "To assure your worry once more-no, the robots are not going to take over the human race," ire joked, raising her hands in mock surrender. "We''re keeping them in line." The robot, not missing a beat, replied, "World domination has been postponed to next year," and the crowd roared withughter.


    Even ire had to admit that was good. She grinned at the robot, shaking her head. "See? They''re learning too fast. We''re all in trouble," she teased, sending another wave ofughter through the room.


    Frank leaned over to Robert. "She''s mocking us," he whispered, his toneced with irritation. "That whole bit about stolen ideas... that''s aimed at us." Robert narrowed his eyes but said nothing.


    "So, I''ll need a volunteer," ire announced, her eyes scanning the crowd with a smirk. Her gazended on Alexander Harris, the owner of Harris Hotel, who was sittingfortably in the front row. "Mr. Harris, would you be so kind?"


    Alexander''s smile faltered for a split


    second, but his expression quickly returned to that polished, practiced grin. It was a smile ire knew too well-charming, fake, and annoyingly effective for him. He rose from his seat, trying not to look like he was annoyed. As he walked toward the stage, ire mentally rolled her eyes.


    "Come on up, Alexander. Don''t be shy," she said, keeping her tone light, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice.


    As Alexander reached the stage, a sleek, silver robot rolled toward him with a microphone in its hand. Alexander blinked at the sight of it, a bit surprised, before he took the mic.


    "Well, thank you, uh-robot," Alexander said with a small chuckle, patting the machine''s shiny head. The audienceughed along with him, finding his surprise charming. Of course, they did. ire crossed her arms but kept smiling.


    "Since you''re the owner of the hotel," ire continued, her eyes sparkling, "you get the honor of being the first to try out our new friend here."


    Alexander''s smirk widened as he nced at the robot, then back at ire. "Why, thank you, Ms. Peterson. How very kind of you," he replied smoothly, bowing slightly for dramatic effect. ire resisted the urge to roll her eyes again-this time, for real. "So, what should I ask our shiny friend here?" Alexander asked, looking out at the crowd with a grin that could light up a room. He turned back to the robot and, with a yful twinkle in his eye, said, "Hey, how do I get a girl''s heart?"


    The crowd erupted inughter, and ire''s forced smile tightened. She shot Alexander a quick re, but he didn''t seem to notice-or maybe he did, and he was just enjoying himself. Either way, he was pushing it.


    The robot whirred for a moment,


    processing the question before answering in its cheerful, automated voice, "To win someone''s heart,


    show kindness, be attentive, and


    always listen." The audienceughed


    again, pping their hands in


    appreciation of the quirky response.


    Alexander, clearly relishing the attention, turned back to the crowd. "Well, folks, if you ever feel lonely, just ask this robot. It can answer all your questions and even be your best friend!"


    Moreughter followed, and ire''s patience was hanging by a thread, but she kept her expression calm. She stepped forward, standing beside Alexander, smiling for the cameras. They were still on stage, after all, and appearances mattered.


    "Thank you for that, Mr. Harris," she said with a slight edge to her voice. "As you can see, our robots are designed to make life easier, even for people like Mr. Harris here, who, apparently, need advice."


    The crowd chuckled again, and ire seized the moment to wrap things up. "Before we close, I''d like to take a moment to thank my incredible team. This project wouldn''t have been possible without their hard work and patience."


    The apuse came in waves, and ire let out a small breath of relief.


    "This," ire said, gesturing to the


    robot still standing beside Alexander, "is the future of Metacortex and


    Harris Hotel. We believe these


    robots will not only assist guests but will redefine customer service, making every stay more efficient, enjoyable, and personal."


    The crowd pped again, and ire gave a final smile, bowing slightly with Alexander at her side.


    "We''ll open the floor for a Q&A session now," ire announced, and instantly, a sea of hands shot up from the journalists below.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!