Kenton was a name known globally, yet he was surprisingly young and was just a tad over forty.

Tall and slender with rimless glasses on his nose, he went to the stage amidst thunderous applause as the host finished the introduction.

After reaching the center of the podium, his gaze swept over the audience, bringing an instant hush to the room.

“Thank you to the organizers for this heartfelt invitation…” he began, keeping his opening remarks brief.

After summarizing and affirming the exhibits at the show, he answered questions from some of the corporate attendees. Many people wanted to ask questions, but time was limited. Half an hour later, Kenton stepped down from the stage. There were other segments to follow in the conference, and after stepping down, Kenton moved toward the front-row seat prepared for him by the organizers.

As he passed, several business tycoons in the front row stood to shake hands and greet Kenton, causing a wave of envy from those in the back, especially among some of the technical staff.

Sitting next to Kenton’s seat was Thorne. As Kenton approached, Thorne stood up.

Sitting beside Thorne, Vesta did the same.

Thorne reached out for a handshake, “Mr. Wagner, it’s been a while.”

Thorne and Kenton had met before. It was many years ago

With a cold demeanor, Kenton extended his hand. “It has indeed been quite some time.”

If one were to count, it had been over a decade.

Kenton’s aloofness wasn’t personal toward Thorne. He was like that with everyone, including his students.

Vesta also extended her hand. “Mr. Wagner, I’m Vesta. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Kenton glanced at her, grunted in acknowledgment, and after shaking hands with her and a few others who came up, he sat down. Thorne sat to Kenton’s right while someone else on his left chatted with him. Kenton engaged in a half-hearted chat with them. Thorne sat, listening to the speakers on the stage. Vesta wanted to talk to Kenton, but with Thorne in between, it wasn’t easy. Noticing Thorne wasn’t initiating conversation with Kenton, she leaned in and whispered, “Did you and Mr. Wagner have a fallout?” Thorne chuckled. “Not at all.”

“Then why…”

Everyone wanted a moment with Kenton, so why didn’t Thorne seize the opportunity to talk more with him?

She considered asking to switch seats with Thorne but decided against it, seeing Kenton engaged in a lively conversation with a well-known business magnate to his left. Given her lower profile, disrupting their chat could potentially offend them. “He doesn’t think much of me,” Thorne finally said.

“What?” Vesta was shocked, wondering if she had misunderstood.

But Thorne’s smile confirmed she hadn’t. Yet, if that were the case, didn’t it imply some tension? However, Thorne seemed utterly unfazed.

Without further discussion, Vesta dropped the subject.

Time flew by, and finally, the conference was done. Rumors swirled that Kenton wouldn’t leave right away.