She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 136

o smiled. “That’s right. The Gold Award supposedly comes with ten million in research funding. They’ll also help us establish a dedicated research group, with continuous funding to follow.”

Winning that award would set them up for life. Quiana suppressed her excitement, her eyes fixed on the stage as she fantasized about the day people would respectfully call her “Doctor.”

The host cleared his throat, a mysterious smile on his face. “And now, it’s time to announce the winner of this year’s First Prize. The winner is…”

He deliberately drew out the suspense, his eyes scanning the expectant faces in the audience.

“For ‘The Application of Gene–Editing Technology in Neurodegenerative Diseases‘–Professor Mario and his team!”

The hall exploded with enthusiastic applause, but the smile on Mario’s face froze instantly.

A stunned silence fell over the room.

Even the congratulatory applause was sporadic, just a few scattered claps as the students slowly processed what had happened.

Mario’s forced smile froze on his face. His fingers unconsciously crumpled the corner of the first–prize certificate he was holding. So, some upstart girl he’d barely noticed had just snatched the Gold Award that was supposed to be his? How was that possible? How was that fair? “Impossible…” he muttered under his breath, then shot to his feet. “There has to be a mistake!”

His voice was jarring in the quiet auditorium. The host paused awkwardly. “Mr. Nash, do you have a question?”

Mario strode toward the stage, his face dark. “I question the integrity of this decision! How can the paper of an undergraduate, someone who hasn’t even graduated, possibly beat the research of multiple established professors?”

Mumurs immediately erupted from the audience.

Seeing her chance, Quiana stood up to support him. “Mr. Nash is right! The source of Loyce’s data is unknown, and her experimental period was far too short. It simply doesn’t meet the standard for the Gold Award!”

She turned to the judges‘ panel, her eyes welling up with tears. “Esteemed judges, academic integrity is the bedrock of scientific research. We can’t allow opportunists to tarnish the reputation of our medical school!”

Her words resonated with many in the crowd. Someone whispered, “She has a point. And have you seen the news lately? That girl, Loyce, got kicked out of the Sampson family, and then by some miracle, ended up as the granddaughter of the richest man in Yarmoria.”

Chapter 136

“You don’t think… because she’s a Lonsdale now, they pulled some strings to polish her resume with a fancy award?”

“That would be completely unethical. Medical research isn’t a game.

These findings are meant to be applied to actual patients.”

As the chatter grew louder, the professors on the judging panel exchanged uneasy glances.

One of the senior judges frowned. “Mr. Nash, the selection process was anonymous. All papers were subjected to a rigorous review. There was no unfairness.”

“Then where did she get her data and her evidence?” Mario sneered. “You expect us to believe an undergraduate completed such a complex neuroregeneration experiment all by herself?”

All eyes in the room turned to Loyce. She remained seated, her expression calm, idly twirling a pen in her fingers.

“Loyce,” one of the judges prompted, “are you willing to explain your research process?”

Loyce set the pen down and slowly rose to her feet. Instead of heading straight for the podium, she glanced at Mario, a faint smirk playing on her lips. “Mr. Nash, I would be honored to clear up your confusion. And if there’s anything you don’t understand during my explanation, feel free to ask.”

Her confident gaze made Mario’s heart skip a beat, but he had already committed. “You’re quite confident for a student. If you can’t provide a reasonable explanation, it just proves this award is a sham!”

“Alright,” Loyce nodded, pulling a flash drive from her bag. “Then I’ll explain it for everyone.”

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