The Directors huddled in a frantic whisper. Ying Yue stood up, her chair screeching. "This is a fabrication! They've hacked the archive!"
"The archive is immutable, Ying Yue," the Head Director said, his voice cold. "The evidence is absolute. Xiao Xing is the sole author of Blue-Pulse. As for you... your fellowship is terminated effective immediately. We will also be pursuing a civil suit for intellectual property theft."
Ying Yue looked at me, her eyes filled with a venomous hate. But as security moved to escort her out, she stopped next to Li Yan.
"You think you won?" she hissed. "You sacrificed your entire career at the Institute for a girl who's going to outshine you. You're a King without a throne now, Li Yan."
"I don't need a throne," Li Yan said, reaching out to take my hand in front of everyone. "I have the Star."