At that moment, the conference room door swung open and the chief engineer, Victor Hale, stepped out. His tie was loosened, frustration etched deep into his face.
“What’s going on out here?” he demanded. “We’re in the middle of a crisis.”
Megan hesitated, then spoke. “Sir… this boy says he sees the problem. He thinks the shaft is inverted.”
Victor let out a sharp laugh. “And did he get that insight from a comic book?”
Adrian met his gaze calmly. “If you rotate the shaft 180 degrees and recalibrate the sensor input, the torque will stabilize. Right now, the system’s resisting itself.”
Victor opened his mouth to dismiss him—but something in the boy’s steady tone made him pause. With an impatient wave, he said, “Fine. Let him in. Simulation only.”
Megan looked alarmed, but Adrian stepped inside.
Thirty professionals stared at him. Some amused. Some offended.
“Run it,” Victor ordered.
A younger engineer typed the adjustments into the 3D model. The room held its breath as the simulation loaded.
98%… 99%… 100%.
“Stabilization complete. Efficiency at 100%.”
The green notification glowed like a quiet explosion.
Silence fell so completely that the hum of the servers seemed deafening.