1.10 Patent

Persie snapped out of his daze and remembered his plan. He reached for his cell phone, but it slipped from his hand, causing a commotion as everyone turned to the sound.

To their surprise, a holographic display emerged from the phone. Cole, who had also noticed Persie dropping his phone, was intrigued.

It was a known fact that only tablets and computers had laser technology due to the difference in operating systems.

If one tried to use it on a cell phone, it would overheat and eventually burn out. Cole's company had been working on incorporating the technology into cell phones, but it seemed like an impossible feat.

As Persie reached for his phone, Cole held him back. A maid picked up the phone, shocked that it was a cellphone.

Persie took it from her, muttering his thanks. Just as he was about to close the holographic display, Cole snatched the phone from him.

He examined the phone's features and found that the display quality was even better than those on tablets and computers.

Cole waved his hand, and the phone's tactile display responded. He enlarged the holograph of the house, studying it from every angle before enlarging it to test its limits.

Cole delved into the phone's settings to explore its parameters, and everyone watched in awe as they saw that the operating system was more powerful than that of a computer.

Cole then checked out the apps and stumbled upon one called "Beam." When he opened it, a map of the castle appeared.

Cole turned to Persie and inquired, "How do you use it?"

Persie took the phone and demonstrated, "The cellphone is always scanning your surroundings, even if it's in your bag or pocket. So you have a detailed map of the castle, and you can see that I am here, in the dining room. Let's say I want to beam here. All I have to do is tap there and point the cell phone."

Persie pointed his phone at a maid, and a red dot appeared on her. Before he could select "Beam," Evander intervened, "Persie, don't!"

Persie halted and turned to Evander, who asked, "Did you make this cellphone?"

Persie nodded, leaving everyone speechless. Demetrius tilted his head, wondering why Persie hadn't mentioned it before.

Evander voiced his concern, "Even if you are excellent in your field, right now we are talking about beaming a person. You could kill her if you made the smallest mistake. There's a reason you only beam with a terminal and not a cellphone."

Persie appeared uncomfortable and hurt by Evander's implication that he would put someone's life in danger. "I've been working in technology since I was ten years old," murmured Persie. "I wouldn't use the cellphone if there were any issues or play with someone's life so carelessly."

Evander responded, "I'm sure beaming works, but don't do it."

Persie retorted, "I'll do it, and you'll see that someone who has 11 years of experience and works as the managing director of R&D knows what he is doing."

When Persie pointed at the maid again, Luke threatened, "You better not beam her."

Persie looked at Luke, and Luke said with disdain, "Everyone knows that all you do is steal work from others. Who knows if this doesn't come from someone else?"

Persie widened his eyes and said with tears in his eyes, "I gave up my childhood and spent every second working and learning about technology. Do you think I need to steal from others? I'm the one who brought more money to the R&D subsidiary than all the others combined. Me and no one else."

Luke looked into Persie's eyes. If he didn't know who he was, he would actually believe his act.

If Persie was willing to steal Evander's work, of course, he was willing to steal from the other employees of R&D.

Luke couldn't understand how someone so beautiful could be so hideous on the inside. He felt shocked when he saw Persie again.

But then again, Persie had always been beautiful. This time, however, it felt different. Persie's scent and aura were different, and Luke sensed that he had changed somehow.

He shouldn't look the way he did, and the more he pretended to be shy and mild, the angrier Luke became.

As everyone sat at the dining table, Persie looked down while Cole grabbed his cell phone and pointed it at the maid.

The room fell silent as Cole selected Beam, and the maid disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the dining room.

Everyone was stunned to see her reappear in the same state as she was before. They couldn't believe that Persie had created such a powerful device.

Evander's hands tightened into fists. He was upset that Persie hadn't told him about his work, as he always kept him informed.

He couldn't believe that Persie had managed to create such a remarkable invention without telling him.

Persie stupidly believed that they were friends, so he would always tell him everything. If he had known, Evander would have gotten the plans and taken credit for the invention.

Not only did Evander have to watch Persie being so close to Cole, but he also had to witness as everyone considered him a genius. He was so angry that he couldn't stand it.

Demetrius looked at Persie impressed with his latest invention. He wanted to obtain the plans, so that when he made Evander his heir, they could mass-produce it and make millions.

He could acknowledge that he had underestimated Persie's intelligence and abilities. Persie was, in fact, a genius who had gone above and beyond his expectations.

Demetrius asked, "When did you build it?"

Persie met his gaze and murmured, "I finished a few days ago."

Curious, Demetrius followed up, "How many did you make?"

Persie answered, "Just one."

Demetrius nodded, understanding that Persie probably wanted to ensure that the device worked before making more.

He inquired, "Why didn't you tell me you were working on it?"

Persie appeared surprised by the question but answered, "It was a private project I conducted in my free time, and it had nothing to do with R&D. You and I only talk shop."

Demetrius was taken aback by Persie's response. While it was true that they typically only discussed work-related topics, Persie would often come to him to share his latest ideas.

They would then collaborate, or Demetrius would give his opinion. The fact that Persie had kept this project a secret was shocking to Demetrius.

Persie valued his opinion, and his decision not to consult him was unexpected, to say the least.

Evander interjected, saying, "What are you talking about? Demetrius doesn't only talk shop."

Persie appeared uncomfortable and looked down, remaining silent on the matter. He felt his heart clench because of the original.

Demetrius never discussed personal matters with him, but he did with Evander. It felt odd to feel someone else's feelings so deeply.

Curious to learn more about the cellphone, Demetrius tilted his head and inquired, "Is the operating system on the cellphone an upgrade of Leos OS?"

Persie responded, "No, I created my own powerful operating system."

Seeing the way Persie worded his answer, Evander had the impulse to slap him. It was as though Persie was implying that Leos OS wasn't the most powerful operating system in the market.

Luke seemed to feel the same way since he interjected, "Leos Enterprises' operating system is potent."

Immediately, Persie appeared slightly worried and said, "That's not what I meant. I know that Leos OS is powerful, and I worked on it. It's just that I needed something more powerful to withstand the ability to beam and use holographic without overheating the phone."

Persie felt Cole caress his back and met his eyes. Cole smiled gently, and Persie smiled back shyly. Evander felt like throwing up.

Luke couldn't help but feel disgusted. The only good thing about this was that by the end of the weekend, Persie would be heartbroken.

He knew Cole well and how he operated, and Persie was the type of person who fell in love quickly. Just this afternoon, Persie was in love with him, and now he had already moved on.

What kind of cheap love was that? Who would want it? Now that he thought about it, Persie was probably using Cole to make him jealous.

Unfortunately for Persie, Luke believed that this plan would turn against him. As soon as Cole rejected him, Luke was sure that Persie would use the pills and end his life. Luke couldn't wait for Monday morning to see Persie's lifeless body.

Demetrius asked, "Did you patent everything? It would be terrible if someone else obtained it. I didn't receive any papers to patent the cellphone or the system."

"I did," Persie replied.

Demetrius was relieved upon hearing this. Persie had accomplished what everyone had aspired to do, and it would be detrimental if it were stolen by a competitor.

Their family was always being observed by competitors and the media, so they had to be cautious not to leak anything.

However, Demetrius' relief turned to astonishment when Persie disclosed, "You didn't receive any papers because I patented everything under Persie."