The robotics booth was absolutely packed-so crowded that Raymond and Adler couldn''t even get close. They had to settle for watching the action on the giant screen set up in the exhibition hall.

At that moment, a sharply dressed man was conversing with the medical Al robot, Kane.

With a skeptical sneer, the man nced at the robot and said, "Looks fancy enough, but I bet it''s useless in practice."

Someone nearby chimed in, "Yeah, it looks high-tech, but the market''s already flooded with stuff like this. It''s no different from the housekeeper robot I''ve got at home."

As people began to drift away in disinterest, Kane''s mechanical voice rang out, "Sir, I''m equipped with many features! Would you like to try me out?"

The man paused, curiosity piqued. "Alright, what exactly can you do?"

"My capabilities include, but are not limited to: medical diagnostics, imaging analysis, prescription assistance, smart health monitoring, appointment scheduling, online pharmacy ess, rehab training, physical checkups, emotional support for seniors, homework help for students, and more."

The list was impressive, though most people shrugged it off as marketing fluff.

The man didn''t seem convinced by the robot''s boasts.

He gave a dismissiveugh. "Fine. Diagnose me, then."

"Activating diagnostic system. Initiating full-body scan," Kane replied.

The man took a step back, cooperating with the scan. Kane''s sensors beeped steadily.

"Diagnosisplete," Kane announced.

Suddenly, the screen filled with a string of technical medical terms. The man nced at the results-and froze. "Tumor? That can''t be right. I had a checkup justst year."

But the idea gnawed at him. Uneasy, he hurried off to the hospital.

One after another, people lined up to try Kane''s features themselves.

The results were scarily urate.

For once, Raymond''s usual levity vanished, reced by a rare seriousness.

Meanwhile, Adler''s thoughts turned to their ownpany''s stalled project. With technology like this on disy, it suddenly seemed like their project might never get off the ground. He was at a loss for words.

After a moment, Raymond broke the silence. "What do you think?"

Adler didn''t hesitate. "It''s incredible."

"After this expo, CICI is definitely making its mark in Havencrest. Looks like we just gained a formidable new rival."

Raymond said nothing more, but he couldn''t help thinking the same.

They wandered off to check out a few other medical service robots. Afterward, just as they were heading to the conference hall for a presentation, a man''s shouting stopped them in their tracks.

A booming voice carried across the crowd: "My God, I underestimated CICI. I owe them an apology. If not for Kane, I might have missed my best shot at treatment."

"Hey, aren''t you the guy from this morning-the one with the tumor?" someone called out, recognizing him instantly.

"That''s me."

Suddenly, everything clicked for the people around them.

In just a single day, Kane had be a sensation. Everyone was eagerly awaiting its officialunch.

At that moment, Raymond realized he was up against an opponent unlike any he''d ever faced.

What made it even more unsettling was that he couldn''t dig up any information about CICI''s founder. Whoever was behind this had to be someone extraordinary.

Meanwhile, Citrine had no idea she''d already been pegged as a rival by thepetition.

With herpany finally hitting its stride, Citrine was overwhelmed by the workload. She found herself thinking, for the first time, that she really needed an assistant.

The next day, she posted a job listing online.

CICI had be the hottest new name in Havencrest, and people were moring to get a foot in the door.

Overnight, Citrine''s inbox was flooded with thousands of applications.