Chapter 239: The Review

One week later, the atmosphere at the Reyes Virtual Pods Manufacturing Center was tense. Representatives from VirtuReal Innovations and an independent review team had arrived.

Michael Reyes stood near the entrance with Juliet standing on his side. He greeted the visitors with a firm handshake, maintaining a composed demeanor.

"Welcome to Reyes Corporation," Michael said, nodding to Dr. Rajesh Patel, who led the VirtuReal team. "We're ready to cooperate fully with the review process."

Dr. Patel returned the handshake, his expression neutral. "Thank you, Mr. Reyes. We appreciate your willingness to facilitate this review."

The independent review team, led by a seasoned technology auditor named Thomas Green, stepped forward.

"Mr. Reyes, we'll start with a tour of your development facilities and then proceed to review the documents you've prepared for us."

Michael nodded. "Of course. Juliet will guide you through our development wing. Please feel free to ask any questions along the way."

Juliet stepped up, ready to lead the group. "This way, please," she said, motioning towards the elevator.

As they ascended to the main development floor, Juliet gave a brief overview of the facility.

"Our complex is designed to house the infrastructure needed to support our VR gaming servers. Each floor contains state-of-the-art server racks with the latest quantum computing technology. The heart of the operation is the central control room, where our technicians monitor the health and performance of the servers 24/7."

They exited the elevator onto a floor bustling with activity. Rows of sleek server racks hummed softly, their LEDs blinking in a synchronized pattern. Overhead, a network of cable trays carried high-speed fiber optic cables, ensuring rapid data transmission across the facility.

"To handle the immense heat generated by our quantum computers, we employ a sophisticated cooling system," Juliet continued. "Cold air ducts feed chilled air directly into the servers, while hot air is extracted and routed to a central cooling tower outside the building. This maintains optimal temperatures and ensures the longevity of our hardware."

Thomas Green nodded, taking notes. "Impressive setup. What about backup systems?"

Thomas Green stepped forward, examining the code displayed on the screen. He turned to one of the developers. "Can you walk us through some of the key aspects of your AI integration?"

The developer, a young man named Alex, nodded and began to explain. "Our AI algorithms are designed to enhance user interaction within the VR environment. We've focused on creating a responsive and adaptive system that can learn from user behavior and improve the experience over time."

Dr. Patel watched closely, occasionally asking pointed questions about specific lines of code and the logic behind them. Michael answered them all while feeling nervous about what they were about to discover. Although the code was originally from VirtuReal, there must have been changes in the code from the prototype to the final product.

As the review continued, Dr. Patel's eyes scanned the code with a critical eye. He paused at certain sections, making notes and occasionally exchanging looks with Thomas Green.

Dr. Patel approached Michael. "Mr. Reyes, can you explain the origin of this particular algorithm?" he asked, pointing to a section of code on the screen.

Michael stepped forward, keeping his tone steady. "That algorithm was developed in-house by our AI team. It's a unique approach we devised to improve user interaction and adaptability within the VR environment."

Dr. Patel nodded slowly, his expression revealing little. "Interesting. I've seen similar approaches, but this implementation is quite refined."

As the hours passed, the review team continued their meticulous examination. Dr. Patel, however, seemed to have found something that caught his attention. He quickly jotted down some notes and exchanged a brief, knowing glance with Thomas Green. It was a subtle exchange, but Michael noticed.

Finally, the review team decided to take a break. Dr. Patel and Thomas Green stepped aside for a private discussion. Michael watched them from a distance, his anxiety growing.

"What do you think they've found?" Juliet whispered, standing next to Michael.

"I'm not sure," Michael replied quietly. "But whatever it is, they're keeping it to themselves for now."

After a few minutes, Dr. Patel and Thomas Green returned to the main area.

"Mr. Reyes," Dr. Patel began, "we've completed our initial review of the AI code and systems. And I'm going to give you a chance to tell us right now, how did you steal our design?"