章節 19: Chapter 19: First Confrontation
Three weeks had passed since Dhruvansh had first stepped into the academy, and he was well on his way to mastering the last set of books on advanced programming, AI, and machine learning. His focus never wavered. While the rest of the class engaged in conversations or formed study groups, Dhruvansh was content to sit in silence, his eyes glued to his books. The concepts in these books weren't foreign to him; in fact, they felt familiar, like pieces of a larger puzzle he was putting together.
His seat by the window was his sanctuary—a quiet corner where he could dive deep into his studies without interruptions. Or so he thought.
As he was halfway through a particularly dense section on neural networks and predictive algorithms, a group of students sauntered into the classroom. They were hard to miss, dressed in flashy designer clothes, loud accessories, and an air of entitlement. The type of students that screamed "rich delinquents" with their mere presence. Their swagger, the smirks, and the way they carried themselves suggested that they were used to getting their way.
The group scanned the room, and one of the boys muttered to his friends, loud enough for the class to hear, "Isn't that the kid who came with Diya Chauhan?"
"Yeah," another said, smirking. "Probably only here because of his connection with her family. I bet he's just tagging along, pretending to fit in."
When one of them, clearly the leader, spotted Dhruvansh, something clicked, he leaned toward his friends and muttered something that drew laughter from the group. Diya, sitting at the front, noticed them too but stayed quiet, unsure of what was about to unfold.
The leader of the group, a tall, arrogant boy with slicked-back hair and an expensive-looking watch, sauntered over to Dhruvansh's seat. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the books scattered across Dhruvansh's desk. "Hey, kid," he began, his tone dripping with condescension, "are you even understanding those books, or are you just pretending so you can stay in the good graces of the Chauhan family?"
Dhruvansh didn't even look up. He continued reading, flipping the page as if the boy didn't exist. The rich kids exchanged amused glances, interpreting Dhruvansh's silence as embarrassment.
"Look at this kid," the leader mocked, turning to his group. "Can't even reply. What's wrong, kid? Too embarrassed to admit you're out of your depth?"
He reached for the book Dhruvansh was reading, pulling it out of his hands. "Artificial Intelligence, huh?" the leader said, skimming through the pages. "You know anything about this, or are you just using this to impress the Chauhans?"
Dhruvansh remained unfazed, still ignoring him, but Diya, noticing the commotion, felt a pang of concern. She had been waiting for an opportunity to break through the wall Dhruvansh had built between them, and maybe this was her chance to help him. She stood up, intending to intervene, but as she approached Dhruvansh's desk, she overheard something unexpected.
Without even glancing at the boy who had taken his book, Dhruvansh finally spoke. His voice was calm, but his words were sharp. "Are you done showing off, or do you want to embarrass yourself further?"
The leader's face twitched with irritation. "Embarrass myself? Please, kid. Let's see if you even understand half of what's in this book." He flipped to a random page and read aloud a question on AI architecture. "Explain this," he demanded, smirking as if he had Dhruvansh cornered.
But Dhruvansh, still calm, began answering the question in intricate detail, explaining not only the basic concepts but also delving into advanced techniques the boy clearly hadn't expected. The rich delinquent tried to keep up, but it was obvious he was in over his head.
"And" Dhruvansh continued, "if you were actually knowledgeable about AI, you'd know that the architecture in question has multiple layers of abstraction, something that your question completely ignores. But of course, you wouldn't know that, would you?"
The boy's smug expression faltered as his friends shifted uncomfortably.
Dhruvansh then leaned back in his seat; eyes now locked onto the leader's. "You may look grown up, but intellectually, you're still an infant. It's amusing that you thought you could lecture me on something you clearly don't understand. I'm not here because of the Chauhans. I'm here because I wanted to be here, and I can gain knowledge from anywhere else if not here. I may have come here earlier if not for my parents' considerations regarding myself. Can you say the same?"
The leader clenched his jaw, clearly seething with frustration but at a loss for words.
Dhruvansh decided to twist the knife. "I actually feel sorry for your parents. Raising a child who flaunts his money but has the intellect of a pig? That must be exhausting."
The insult hit home. The group of delinquents was now visibly uncomfortable, shifting awkwardly as Dhruvansh's cold words sank in. Diya, who had been frozen in place, was shocked. She hadn't realized just how intelligent Dhruvansh really was. She had assumed he might need help in this advanced environment, but it was clear now that he was miles ahead of even the older students.
The tension in the room was palpable, and just when it seemed like things might escalate further, the bell rang, signaling the start of recess.
Without a second thought, Dhruvansh calmly gathered his books, stood up, and headed out the door toward the cafeteria. The group of rich kids, still speechless, watched him leave, too embarrassed to say anything further.
Diya hesitated for a moment before following Dhruvansh, but she didn't approach him.
Unbeknownst to Dhruvansh and anyone else, the entire encounter had been captured on video by several of his classmates, who had recorded it on their phones. The footage quickly spread among the students, but more importantly, it had been witnessed by the academy's professors through the classroom's security cameras.
In the faculty room, several professors had been watching the confrontation unfold, initially thinking it was just another petty disruption. But as Dhruvansh answered the delinquent's question with precision and depth, their attention sharpened.
"Is that... Dhruvansh Chauhan?" one of the senior professors asked, leaning closer to the screen. "The five-year-old boy?"
"Yes," another professor confirmed. "We thought he might have been admitted because of his connections with the Chauhan family, but... I don't think that's the case anymore."
"He's exceptional," said a third professor, shaking his head in disbelief. "We've seen Diya Chauhan's intellect in action—she's been remarkable from the start. But this boy... he's like a hidden gem passing under our radar. We'll need to keep a close eye on him, just like we've been observing Diya."
The professors agreed. They had already been keeping an eye on Diya, the academy's prodigy, who frequently outsmarted her teachers with her sharp questions and deep understanding of various subjects. But now, they realized that Dhruvansh was no ordinary child either. His intellect, particularly in AI and programming, was astonishing for someone so young.
"We need to monitor his progress closely," one of the professors said, making a note to track Dhruvansh's academic journey. "He's not just some kid who got in because of family connections. He's a genius in his own right if we take his age into account."
Among the students who had witnessed the encounter firsthand was a boy of average height, around 5'6", with long black hair reaching his neck, glasses perched on his nose, and an air of quiet confidence. His face was strikingly beautiful, the kind of face that would turn heads, especially among the girls in the academy. But unlike the others, he wasn't interested in gossip or the drama of the rich delinquents.
His sharp, analytical mind was focused on Dhruvansh.
This boy, whose name was Lakshay Bhardwaj, had a deep fascination with intelligence and innovation. Seeing Dhruvansh dismantle the older boys with such ease had sparked his curiosity. He watched silently as Dhruvansh left the classroom, already contemplating what kind of future this young prodigy might have.
Lakshay wasn't just impressed—he was intrigued. He decided then and there to keep an eye on Dhruvansh, perhaps even find a way to connect with him. After all, what was there to lose here when he can gain much more if his gut feeling is right about Dhruvansh, but he will just observe for now and when the time comes, he will make contact with Dhruvansh.
As Dhruvansh headed to the cafeteria, his mind focused on completing his studies for the day, he remained blissfully unaware of the attention he was attracting. From the professors who were now watching him closely, to the classmates who had recorded his every word, to the quiet boy with glasses who had taken a special interest in him—everyone was starting to realize that Dhruvansh was no ordinary student.
He was a force to be reckoned with, and his journey at the academy had only just begun.
Later that day, when Dhruvansh returned home, he sat in his room, processing what had happened. But instead of dwelling on the altercation with the delinquents, his mind was already moving ahead to the next task. He had studied enough over the past few weeks, and it was time to put his newfound knowledge to use.
He decided to implement the programming and engineering concepts he had learned by further upgrading Eye which is more than capable for the time being since the last upgrade 3 weeks ago, he thinks what's the harm in upgrading further whenever it's possible as the AI that had been his closest companion. He would push its capabilities to the next level—both in terms of software and hardware. With his advanced understanding of electrical engineering, he also planned to improve Eye's physical components, enhancing its speed and efficiency.
There was no time to waste. Dhruvansh decided to gather the necessary tools in the next 2 or 3 days and began sketching out the upgrades he had in mind. For him, this was the real work—the kind that would set him on the path he had chosen.
The day was far from over. His future was just beginning.
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