Chapter 136

The moment Sophia and Julian disappeared from view, Alexander and Victoria slid into their luxury sedan, heading toward The Grandeur.

Frederick Aldridge arrived at their private dining room just minutes after they did.

"Mr. Aldridge." Both Alexander and Victoria rose to greet him when he entered.

Frederick showed no reaction to seeing Victoria there.

She extended her hand politely. "Hello, Mr. Aldridge. I'm Victoria Kensington. We met previously at the Salzburg Tech Expo—"

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

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

"Hmm."

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

Victoria nodded.

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

Frederick pushed it away. "Not necessary."

Victoria 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 Victoria 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?"

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

Victoria's confidence surged at the backhanded compliment.

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

"Yes."

"That's all?"

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

But she'd been top of her class at Yardley University, won numerous awards, and earned high praise from her advisor—a leading Salzburg 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, Victoria delivered an in-depth technical breakdown of the vehicle's perception, planning, and control systems.

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

Just as Victoria was elaborating on sensor fusion algorithms, Frederick abruptly stood. "Enough."

She immediately fell silent.

Frederick delivered his verdict with clinical precision.

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