16. On the wrong side of the law.

Chapter sixteen: On the wrong side of the law.

As I entered the waiting room, I was met with a scene of chaos. Contestants, like me, were scattered around, their faces twisted with frustration and anger. Their inventions had also been stolen. The poor overworked secretary was trying to calm us down as we demanded to speak to the management. I could almost hear her inner thoughts: "I don't get paid enough for this shit," she must have been thinking, as she dealt with one disgruntled inventor after another.

I was already so stressed and tired of being angry. Sitting on an iron chair, I let out a loud yawn.

“You must be Jessica Raye Kardashian, the winner of this competition,” the girl beside me said. She had a peculiar accent, probably from Australia. She also had a special aura that I can’t quite describe.

"I'm Jessica Raye," I replied with a tired smile. "And as for the competition, it seems more like a scam at this point, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it’s a fraud," she replied with a sigh. "I