PLAGIARISM

The competition hall was filled with contestants and judges, all sitting in anticipation. The emcee walked onto the stage and made their announcement.

"Today, we will find out who will be crowned the top three! The winning team members will be rewarded with a grand prize presented by our esteemed guest, the Education Minister. Please give all the teams a round of applause!"

"Now, it is time to call upon one of our judges to announce the results. Please welcome Mr. Kevin to the stage!"

The auditorium erupted with a deafening roar as Mr. Kevin walked confidently onto the stage and held the microphone to his lips. The many faces in the audience watched him attentively, hanging onto his every word.

"I am quite amazed by the young talents that I've witnessed here today," he said into the microphone. "One thing that I wanted to tell everyone here is that through hard work and honesty, you can achieve your goals."

He paused, allowing the audience to process his words before continuing. "But if you try to take any shortcut, then you will fall miserably," he added, emphasizing the importance of these words.

The crowd fell silent, an expectant hush in the air. Mr. Kevin seemed to recognize the change in the atmosphere, and he cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Now, I won't delay in announcing the result. The team who is in the third position is...Team ACHIEVERS, and the first runner-up of the competition is team SMARTIAN. The team who won the first prize is...Team UNIQUE!"

The noise that filled the auditorium was unmistakable. The audience leaped to their feet in a standing ovation, applauding the hard work and dedication of all the teams who had taken part.

All the top three team members walked on the stage and the education minister started to award them.

Chen Yiren stood there with a smug look on his face, ready to accept the winner's trophy. But just as he was about to accept it, a voice interrupted them.

"I apologize for intruding on this award ceremony, but there is evidence of plagiarism here." A man in a black suit with golden-rimmed glasses walked in.

The audience began to murmur in surprise. Su Anya's team had already been found guilty of stealing their schoolmates' project, and now here was another team accused of cheating.

"Sir, I think you must have misinterpreted the situation," Mr. Kevin said. He thought it was Su Anya's group who had copied the project. He searched Chen Yiren's face for a hint that he had made a formal accusation against her, however, his stunned demeanor suggested otherwise.

"We've had a report that someone has copied someone else's idea." The man in the black suit declared.

Chen Yiren's heart raced, feeling a sinking suspicion that Su Anya was the culprit. He silently cursed her, cursing himself for stealing her team's project earlier.

Mr. Kevin furrowed his brow, disappointment washing over him. "Whoever has plagiarized their project, please step forward and disqualify yourselves from the competition. If you accept your mistake now, you might get a lighter punishment. But if you refuse to admit your wrongdoing, don't be surprised if I take strict action against you."

The atmosphere in the room was tense. The participants looked at each other as if they were waiting for someone to step forward and accept responsibility for the team's mistakes. But no one spoke, and the grim silence hung like a weight in the air.

Suddenly, Mr. Kevin's face darkened, and he said in a stern voice, "I, as judge of the competition, declare that whoever has plagiarized shall be punished severely." He turned to the man in the black suit.

The man in the black suit stepped forward, his eyes flashing with determination. He cleared his throat and said, in a voice that was both strong and authoritative, "My name is John Smith, and I am an investigator hired by the international science and technology creators to look into the alleged plagiarism in this competition." He paused, then continued, "And I have the evidence right here." He produced a stack of papers and laid them out on the table.

The mood in the room immediately changed. Mr. Kevin was stunned after hearing the name of international science and technology creators. It was one of the most reputed organizations. The people whose papers were approved by them were the geniuses among the genius. The other participants glanced at each other nervously, knowing that things were about to get serious. John began going through the evidence, one document at a time, explaining how it proved that someone had indeed plagiarized. As he spoke, an inevitable conclusion began to form in everyone's mind.

Chen Yiren's face paled as everyone turned to look at him. He broke into a cold sweat, not understanding how to handle the situation.

"I didn't steal anyone's project," he said quickly. "Can't two people come up with the same idea? My schoolmate suggested the same project I did before." He tried to shift the blame onto Su Anya.

The room went silent, and tension filled the air. Chen Yiren looked around, desperately seeking some sort of understanding or support from anyone, but all he found were suspicious glances. He looked down and saw his hands trembling, and felt like he was about to break down. Then, a voice broke the silence.

"So you are trying to say that I and my team members, the ones who plagiarized someone else's idea and used it in this competition?" a sudden voice echoed in the room. Su Anya's entrance had drawn everyone's attention in the room, and a heavy silence hung in the air. She stood at the entrance and surveyed the room, her gaze ice-cold.

Finally, her gaze settled on Chen Yiren, her mouth twisted into a sneer.

Chen Yiren was left speechless, but he managed to keep his cool.

"Anya, I have no idea what the truth is in this situation. I'm just as clueless as you "He began to speak in a roundabout way.

Su Anya's face hardened as he pretended to be completely innocent in the face of the evidence.