Chapter 136

The moment Chloe and Tristan disappeared from view, Damien and Selene slid into their luxury sedan, heading toward The Meridian.

Graham Bellamy arrived at their private dining room just minutes after they did.

"Mr. Bellamy." Both Damien and Selene rose to greet him when he entered.

Graham showed no reaction to seeing Selene there.

She extended her hand politely. "Hello, Mr. Bellamy. I'm Selene Lancaster. We met previously at the Lucerne Tech Expo—"

"I remember." His tone remained flat as he gave her hand a perfunctory shake.

Once seated, Selene took the chair beside him. "I've long admired your work. It would be an honor to discuss AI advancements with you directly."

"Hmm."

Damien's phone vibrated. He stood abruptly. "Excuse me, I need to take this. Please continue without me."

Selene nodded.

As soon as Damien stepped out, she offered Graham the menu. "Shall we order first? We can discuss over dinner."

Graham pushed it away. "Not necessary."

Selene blinked, caught off guard.

Before she could respond, he cut straight to the point. "You want me to mentor you?"

His bluntness surprised her, but Selene wasn't intimidated by the legendary AI pioneer.

Meeting his gaze squarely, she answered, "Yes. AI is my passion, and studying under you would elevate my skills exponentially."

She'd prepared extensively for this meeting.

Opening her laptop, she asked, "May I show you my doctoral research project?"

Graham scrolled through her work, analyzing the data. After reviewing several datasets, he remarked indifferently, "Above average for a PhD thesis."

Selene's confidence surged at the backhanded compliment.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Graham released the mouse and fixed her with an unreadable stare. "You completed this project this year?"

"Yes."

"That's all?"

Selene hesitated, uncertain whether he expected more impressive work or found her lacking.

But she'd been top of her class at Westbridge University, won numerous awards, and earned high praise from her advisor—a leading Lucerne AI researcher involved in national aerospace projects.

His endorsement carried weight.

Straightening her shoulders, she said, "I conducted a technical analysis of the autonomous vehicles showcased at last month's expo. Would you like to hear my findings?"

"Proceed."

For the next twelve minutes, Selene delivered an in-depth technical breakdown of the vehicle's perception, planning, and control systems.

Damien briefly returned, only to excuse himself for another call.

Just as Selene was elaborating on sensor fusion algorithms, Graham abruptly stood. "Enough."

She immediately fell silent.

Graham delivered his verdict with clinical precision.

"Your fundamentals are adequate, but you're not at the level I require in a protégé."