Two days after making arrangements, Dario embarked on a journey to Divina to participate in the International Artificial Intelligence Conference. Similar to the tech expo from the previous year, this conference served as a critical platform for industry specialists to gain insights into cutting-edge AI advancements and engage in meaningful technical discussions with peers.

Traveling alongside him were Veronica, Lester, and several fresh recruits from DataPulse's engineering department. Dario had specifically chosen newcomers like Lester because they hadn't yet been exposed to the company's confidential projects or proprietary technology, eliminating any risk of inadvertent information leaks during networking events.

By the time their group arrived at the conference venue in Divina, the place was already bustling with activity. Rumors circulated that several world-renowned AI experts would be making appearances throughout the event, adding to the excitement in the air.

At last year's tech expo, Dario had attracted considerable attention merely by association with Malcolm, his mentor. Now, with DataPulse's rapidly growing reputation in the industry, his entrance into the hall created an even greater commotion. Almost immediately upon stepping inside, he became the focus of the room, with numerous attendees approaching him for introductions and conversations, quickly filling his schedule.

While Dario navigated the social waters, Veronica and Lester positioned themselves to the side, observing his interactions from a distance. Suddenly, a voice Veronica instantly recognized broke through the ambient chatter of the crowded hall.

"You're here too?"

Turning around, Veronica found herself face to face with Marco, who stood with Stephen at his side. She responded with professional courtesy, "Mr. Valerie, you're here too?"

Marco's presence was somewhat surprising. Someone of his position rarely needed to attend such technical conferences personally—typically delegating such responsibilities to senior executives or technical specialists like Stephen. However, the real motivation behind his attendance was more personal than professional. It had been some time since he'd last seen Veronica, and knowing she would likely accompany Dario to this significant industry event, he had decided to make an appearance himself.

As Marco and Veronica exchanged pleasantries, he noticed Lester's cold stare directed his way. Marco, however, chose to disregard the young engineer's evident disdain.

The moment was interrupted by Cullen's arrival at the venue, notably without Niall by his side this time. Before Veronica and Dario could process Cullen's solo appearance, the conference hosts emerged, respectfully escorting a distinguished man in his sixties into the main hall.

Both Veronica and Dario, well-versed in recognizing influential figures in the AI community, immediately identified the man as Preston Campbell. His reputation in the artificial intelligence world was nothing short of legendary.

Their earlier puzzlement regarding Niall's absence from Cullen's side was promptly resolved when they spotted her standing confidently beside Preston, clearly demonstrating their established rapport.

Connecting the dots between Preston's background and Niall's pursuit of a PhD in Bella, both Veronica and Dario quickly deduced the nature of their relationship—Niall was almost certainly Preston's doctoral student.

Being selected as a PhD candidate under Preston's mentorship was an extraordinary achievement. Preston had made transformative contributions to both deep learning and artificial intelligence research. While not among the original pioneers of deep learning, his advancements and influence within the AI domain were universally acknowledged and respected.

The moment Preston entered the venue, an electric excitement swept through the crowd. Attendees began whispering among themselves, unable to contain their amazement.

"Preston Campbell? It's actually him! He came to our conference? My god, am I dreaming?" one attendee exclaimed, clearly starstruck.

"Well, if you are, your dreams are a lot better than mine," another responded with equal enthusiasm. "I wouldn't even dare to dream of something like this. And yet, here it is happening in real life!"

As the murmurs continued throughout the hall, a gentleman who appeared to be an old acquaintance of Preston stepped forward to greet him. After exchanging warm pleasantries, the man glanced curiously at Niall standing beside the renowned AI expert and inquired, "This is?"