The morning air inside the gymnasium had grown heavier.
Not tense — focused.
The first wave of judging had ended twenty minutes ago, and students were beginning to relax just enough to breathe again. Some were already celebrating quietly, others slumped in chairs after the rush of adrenaline.
But Li Feng and Li Xue's booth remained… oddly still.
Because the judges were coming back.
Not all of them.
Just the ones who mattered.
A ripple of whispers followed their return path through the hall.
"They're doing a second round—"
"Only for the top projects…"
"Did they stop at five? Six?"
"Who's next?"
Li Xue stood straighter without realizing it, fingers tightening around her tablet. Li Feng noticed, but didn't say anything. His calmness was steady enough for both of them.
Group B — the judges assigned to software and assistive tech — approached with measured steps. The researcher with the conference-badge-lanyard was in front this time, expression sharper, more academic. Behind him, the YunTech representative walked silently, eyes fixed on their table.
They weren't sampling anymore.
They were evaluating.
When they reached the booth, the lead judge nodded politely.
"Li Xue. Li Feng. We'd like to conduct a deeper review."
Li Xue inhaled slowly but didn't shrink back.
She offered a small bow. "Of course."
The silver-rimmed-glasses judge stepped closer to the gloves resting on the table.
"In your initial demonstration," he began, "the system showed very stable real-time translation. We want to understand how it performs when stress-tested."
Li Feng gave one slight nod — "Go ahead."
A second judge lifted a glove and examined the micro-sensors with surprising precision.
"These aren't commercial modules. not standard flex sensors either…"
Li Xue found her voice. "Gege re-designed the layout when we found drift issues with the commercial ones."
Li Feng added mildly, "Flex modules were inconsistent at low angles. Independent sensors fixed that."
The judges all exchanged looks — that quiet, subtle kind that only experts shared when realizing they'd underestimated something.
The lead judge cleared his throat.
"Very well. Let's begin with extended gesture tests."
Li Xue slipped on the gloves again.
Her movements were smoother now — she wasn't nervous anymore.
Confidence replaced the tremble in her hands.
"Start when you're ready," one judge said.
She moved through a sequence:
Good morning.
Thank you.
Please wait.
The display processed each instantly.
The voice output followed without lag.
Judges scribbled notes.
Next, the badge-lanyard researcher stepped closer.
"Try overlapping signs. Rapid succession."
Li Xue nodded and signed quickly:
Help. Danger. Alert.
The recognition engine parsed each one cleanly — no confusion, no stutter.
A visible shift went through the group.
Finally, the lead judge asked:
"And continuous signing? No pauses."
This was the hardest test.
Li Xue exhaled and began moving her hands in a flowing sequence — chaining sentences together using conversational sign transitions:
Hello, we are demonstrating Silent Hands.
This system can help people communicate more easily.
Thank you for watching.
The model tracked every frame.
No drops.
No misreads.
Silence filled the booth as the text scrolled perfectly across the tablet.
Then the output voice spoke the sentences aloud, each in steady cadence.
The judges stared, quietly stunned.
One of them finally murmured, "…High responsiveness… surprisingly mature pipeline…"
Another added, "This level of stability is rare even in undergrad projects."
Li Xue's shoulders eased. Her breath steadied.
Li Feng stood beside her — hands still in his pockets, expression mild, but his eyes carried a faint warmth.
The lead judge closed his notebook.
"We'll reconvene shortly," he said. "For now… excellent work."
No smiles.
No exaggerated praise.
But the tone said everything.
Silent Hands was no longer just a good project.
It was a contender.
Serious. Competitive.
The kind professionals, not students, were supposed to build.
As the judges walked to the next booth, whispers followed them.
"That glove project…"
"They stopped there twice…"
"Is it really that good?"
"I swear I saw the YunTech rep writing notes—"
Li Xue looked at Li Feng, her eyes shining just a little.
"Gege… they really liked it."
Li Feng nodded once, quietly.
"They should."
She laughed softly — not nervous this time, but relieved.
The second pass had ended.
And Silent Hands was now on the map.
---
Even after the judges moved on, the attention at their booth didn't fade.
If anything, it intensified.
A woman from YunTech Robotics stepped forward first, her gaze sharp with professional interest.
"May I take a closer look at your hardware?" she asked.
Li Xue nodded quickly. "O-Of course."
The woman examined the glove with practiced precision, then looked at Li Feng.
"You designed the recognition pipeline?"
"Yes."
Her brows rose slightly.
But before she could continue, a rep from SkyEcho Electronics approached. Then a researcher from BlueCloud University. They formed a loose semicircle around the booth — not aggressive, but unmistakably focused.
One tapped the tablet softly.
"You built this with school resources?"
Li Feng nodded.
A short, stunned silence followed.
Another rep leaned in.
"Have you considered submitting your model for a student research grant?"
"We'll think about it," Li Feng replied evenly.
Li Xue tugged on his sleeve subtly.
"Gege… this is so much…"
He answered with a quiet glance meant to calm her.
"You're doing fine."
Around them, students from nearby booths stared, whispering.
"Why are all the tech reps crowding theirs?"
"Did they build something insane or what…?"
The YunTech woman finally stepped back and said:
"Student Li, if you're interested, YunTech would like to extend an invitation to our Young Innovators Dialogue next month. Your sister is welcome as well."
Li Xue nearly dropped her tablet.
Li Feng inclined his head politely.
"We'll consider it."
Not committing.
Not refusing.
The perfect balance.
The reps exchanged quick looks — interest sharpening.
Soon, a few university scouts and minor media observers drifted closer, quietly hovering near the booth. Not approaching yet, but clearly evaluating from a distance.
Li Xue leaned closer, voice barely above a whisper.
"Gege… everyone's staring…"
Li Feng tapped her wrist lightly.
"It's just attention," he said. "It'll settle."
But it didn't.
Silent Hands hadn't just impressed the judges.
It had become the project the entire hall was watching.
---
The gymnasium screens flickered to life as the judging rounds came to an end.
A teacher stepped onto the stage, microphone in hand.
"Students, please gather near your booths.
The scores for the preliminary evaluation will now be announced."
A wave of tension rippled through the hall.
Projects dimmed. Conversations stilled.
Even the corporate reps paused their discussions.
Li Xue locked her fingers together nervously.
Li Feng remained relaxed — hands behind his back, posture steady.
The large screen refreshed.
A list of project names scrolled upward.
Categories separated them: Robotics, Engineering, Software, Medical Tech, Assistive Tech…
Then—
Assistive Technology — Ranking (Preliminary Evaluation):
1. Silent Hands — Score: 96
2. VoiceBridge Pendant — Score: 88
3. Smart ElderCare Alert — Score: 85
For a moment, the hall fell completely silent.
Then—
A sharp swell of whispers erupted.
"They placed first…"
"Ninety-six? That's higher than Robotics this year."
"No way that's a high-school build…"
Li Xue's mouth fell open slightly.
"G-…Gege… we… we're first."
Li Feng nodded once, calmly.
"As expected."
She hit his shoulder softly. "You can't just say it like that!"
But she couldn't hide the radiant smile forming.
Across the hall, the YunTech representative exhaled with a tiny, impressed laugh.
A BlueCloud researcher shook his head, murmuring, "Unbelievable…"
Teachers exchanged looks of surprise.
Even the principal paused mid-conversation, his eyes widening briefly when he saw the score.
Silent Hands hadn't just ranked well.
It dominated the category.
Li Xue tugged Li Feng's sleeve again.
"Gege… are you happy?"
He glanced down at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Mn."
Her chest loosened — relieved, proud, and a little overwhelmed.
But the moment didn't last.
A teacher on stage spoke again:
"Final evaluations will begin shortly. Please remain prepared."
The corporate observers drifted even closer now, clearly intrested.
Li Xue inhaled deeply.
"…The finals."
Li Feng adjusted the glove on the table.
"Then let's finish strong."
Silent Hands was now the project to beat—
and the entire room knew it.
---
A rustle of whispers swept through the hall long before anyone saw who caused it.
Not loud.
Not chaotic.
Just the kind of subtle shift that made people straighten their backs without knowing why.
Li Feng noticed first — a quiet movement in the corner of his vision.
A girl stepped through the side entrance.
Simple cream coat.
Long, dark hair.
Calm, measured steps.
No entourage.
No announcement.
But the way the room reacted — teachers pausing, judges glancing over, students freezing mid-sentence — made her identity obvious.
"…Is that Wen Yuning?" someone whispered too loudly.
"The Wen family heiress from the capital?"
"She's on the Institute's youth research board…"
Li Xue turned toward the commotion, confused.
"Gege… who is—"
She stopped.
Because Wen Yuning walked past robotics.
Past engineering displays.
Past medical tech.
Straight toward Silent Hands.
Not even hesitating.
Not even pretending to browse.
A direct, unbroken line.
By the time she reached their booth, a small ring of attention had formed around them — students pretending not to stare, judges subtly adjusting position to observe.
Wen Yuning stood before the table, eyes drifting over the gloves… the tablet… the diagnostic overlay still active.
Then she looked up at the two siblings.
Her gaze was calm — clearer and sharper than anyone else's in the hall.
"So," she said quietly, "this is Silent Hands."
Li Xue froze.
Li Feng nodded once. "Yes."
Wen Yuning studied him for half a second longer than necessary — just enough to register a thought.
"You wrote the optimized inference core," she said.
A statement, not a question.
Li Feng didn't deny it. "I did."
A faint, almost invisible smile touched her lips.
"…Indeed."
She tapped the side of the tablet, bringing up a snippet of the decision-path overlay he had left open.
"Your segmentation approach is elegant," she said softly. "And the compression architecture… cleaner than most of what I saw at the Institute this year."
The judges nearest to them stiffened.
A corporate representative actually stopped writing.
Li Xue's eyes widened, mouth falling open.
Wen Yuning continued, tone even but carrying weight:
"I've read dozens of assistive-interface papers from the capital. None of them are this refined at this scale."
Silence rippled outward like a stone dropped into water.
Students who had been pretending not to listen now openly stared.
Even the principal, standing several meters away, subtly leaned forward.
Wen Yuning shifted her gaze to Li Xue.
"Your presentation was good," she said gently. "Clear. Confident. You believed in what you were showing."
Li Xue's breath hitched. "T-Thank you…"
"Don't thank me," Wen Yuning replied simply. "Good work deserves acknowledgment."
Then she straightened and addressed them both:
"Silent Hands is more than a school project. It has real potential. And real impact."
Li Xue looked like she might float away.
Li Feng… allowed the smallest shift at the corner of his lips.
Not pride.
Not arrogance.
Recognition.
Wen Yuning gave a final nod — respectful, almost formal — before stepping back.
"I'll continue observing the Expo," she said. "But—"
Her eyes met Li Feng's one last time.
"This is the one project I didn't want to miss."
Then she turned and walked away, leaving behind a trail of stunned silence that quickly erupted into whispers.
"She came here just to see their project…"
"Wen Yuning never praises anyone!"
"Who are these siblings?"
"That guy… he didn't even look fazed…"
Li Xue tugged at Li Feng's sleeve, voice barely above a whisper:
"Gege… she praised us. She praised us."
Li Feng glanced at her.
Then gently tapped her forehead.
"We did good work," he said, tone light but sure.
And with Silent Hands still glowing softly on the table between them — its interface cycling in a calm, steady rhythm — the Expo continued to buzz around the siblings with a new, sharpened tension.
Students whispered.
Teachers stole glances.
Corporate reps exchanged quiet, calculating looks.
Not too far away from the siblings' booth, a teacher could be seen stepping into a quieter corner of the gym, pulling out her phone.
A message was sent.
A message addressed directly to the Li Patriarch.
And it contained two names:
Li Feng.
Li Xue.
---
Hello, Author here,
Thanks for reading — Leave a comment to tell me what you think about this chapter, and drop a Power Stone if you're enjoying Li Feng's story so far! Let's grow this story together.