Chapter 151
After bidding farewell to Jasmine and Granger, Thorne and Vesta hopped into their car, heading to the diner.
Minutes after they settled into their booth, Kenton arrived.
“Mr. Wagner.”
Upon seeing Kenton push through the door, Thorne and Vesta stood up to greet him.
Kenton didn’t show any surprise at seeing Vesta. Vesta reintroduced herself politely, saying, “Mr. Wagner, it’s good to see you again. We met briefly at the Future Tech Expo-
“I remember,” Kenton replied with an impassive face, shaking her hand briefly.
After Kenton took his seat, Vesta sat down next to him and said, “I’ve always admired your work, Mr. Wagner. I’ve been hoping for a chance to discuss the field of Al with you, face to face.” “Uh-huh,” was all Kenton said.
Thorne’s phone buzzed at that moment, and he stood up, saying, “Excuse me, I need to take this call. Please, go ahead without me.”
Vesta nodded.
Once Thorne was gone, Vesta picked up a menu from the table and offered it to Kenton, saying, “Mr. Wagner, shall we order some food? We could talk over a meal?”
Kenton pushed the menu aside, “Not necessary.”
Vesta was taken aback by his blunt approach and barely had time to gather herself before Kenton cut to the chase, “So, you want to be my student?”
Vesta hadn’t expected such directness. But she wasn’t intimidated, despite Kenton being a top figure in the Al field. With confidence, she admitted, “Yes, I’m deeply interested in Al. I believe learning under your guidance would help me make significant progress.” Naturally, Vesta came prepared. After finishing her statement, she pulled out her laptop, offering, “Would you like to see the project I worked on for my PhD?”
Kenton scrolled through her graduation project.
After examining a few
Sets of data, he commented, “For a graduation project, it’s certainly above average.” Encouraged by his words, Vesta’s smile deepened, and she felt more confident. Just as she was about to speak, Kenton let go of the mouse, shifted his gaze from the laptop, and asked, “This was completed this year?”
“Yes.”
“Nothing else?”
Vesta paused, unable to discern whether he was impressed, expecting more highlights, or unimpressed but willing to give her another chance.
However, she had always been at the top of her class, winning numerous awards. Her PhD advisor, a heavyweight in the Goldland tech scene and a contributor to several Goldland space missions, had always praised her highly.
Her advisor’s commendation was significant!
Thus, she maintained confidence in her expertise.
Feeling steadied, she offered, “I’ve done some technical analysis on the exhibits at the last Future Tech Expo, including the autonomous vehicle. Would you like to hear about it?”
Go on
Veeta then delved into a technical explanation of the autonomous vehicle, covering perception, planning, and Control
She spoke for over ten minutes, uninterrupted even when Thorne returned briefly to mention another important
call
Just as Vesta was about to continue, Kenton suddenly looked up and said, “That’s enough.”
Vesta stopped.
Kenton stood up and gave his final assessment, “You have a solid foundation, but it doesn’t quite reach the level I expect from my students.”