Fortunately, the product displays in the venue soon captured her attention. Glass cases detailed products from various companies in the industry. Darcy seized the chance to absorb the latest developments. For particularly unique or impressive products, she took photos. These would be future inspiration for Stratagem Tech's R&D. Through her exploration, she also learned the names of some smaller firms. A few small companies, lean in staff but with distinctive products, were practically leaders in their vertical niches. Darcy silently noted down the company names. She planned to research their actual situations later. When Zane and Zora entered, they saw Darcy intently memorizing company descriptions. Zane was momentarily stunned, then paused. He hadn't expected to see Darcy here. After all, attendees of today's FinTech Forum were industry elites, at least at the expert level within their companies. But Darcy... how did she get in? Well, with her years in marketing, her network and skills, getting an invitation from someone would have been easy. She had been murmuring the names of various companies. Seems she was using the forum to scout for job opportunities. It was a clever approach. But— Zane didn't approve. Today's forum wasn't ordinary. It was high-level, taken seriously by the city government. The agenda was packed. It wasn't the kind of event for casual networking and swapping business cards. Besides, while Darcy was capable, she wasn't at the level to have direct conversations with company CEOs. Looking across all of Aethelburg, aside from him, who else would truly appreciate her talent? He wasn't the only one who thought so. Zora shared the sentiment. Zora sighed softly, "That's Ms. Gale, right? Seems she's still job-hunting. Zane, should I go explain the misunderstanding and invite her back?" A coldness flickered in Zane's eyes. "No need for explanations. Let's go." Even without an invitation, Darcy would return eventually. How long could she last without a job? The corner of Zora's mouth lifted slightly. "Alright," she said, feigning reluctance. Not far away, Darcy watched Zora's arm looped through Zane's as they walked away. She stared for a moment. Zane had definitely seen her. But he just gave her a cold glance and looked away. Darcy clenched her fist tightly. Jethro sent her a message, "The main forum is starting soon." Darcy replied, "On my way." By the time she reached the main auditorium, the seats were mostly filled. Stratagem Tech's assigned seats were actually close—within the first three rows—but getting there meant navigating past many people. Darcy didn't want to draw attention, so she found a random empty seat. Unfortunately, after sitting down, she realized that in this same row, two seats away from her, sat Zane and Zora. Darcy averted her eyes and focused on the stage.Just then, a city government official took the stage to begin the opening remarks. On the other side, Zane leaned back in his chair. After listening for a while, his attention drifted. He glanced subtly to his right, toward Darcy, who was two seats away. It had been a while since they'd seen each other. He thought Darcy would be shocked, maybe angry, to see him with Zora. But—no. She was surprisingly calm. She had just glanced over briefly and then looked away, acting as if she didn't care at all. But—did she really not care? Applause broke Zane's train of thought. The official's speech ended. Next was the mystery guest, an academic representative. Alistair took the stage. Thunderous applause filled the room.Zora smiled at Zane. "It really is Prof. Reed. After this half ends, let's approach him. We can discuss the patent acquisition." Zane nodded. "Yeah." They had tried various ways to meet Alistair regarding the patent, with no success. Attending this forum, their main goal was to get a word with him. The government had only mentioned a mystery guest, not revealing who. Zora had used her family's connections to learn it was Alistair. Meanwhile, when Darcy saw Alistair on stage, her eyes curved into a smile. Her applause was especially enthusiastic. Alistair walked to the center stage, clicked his remote, and a presentation began on the large screen. Half an hour later, his presentation concluded. He bowed and walked offstage, taking a seat in the first row. Next came the corporate representatives' speeches.Three companies were scheduled, all top firms in the industry. Well, Stratagem Tech wasn't one of them. But Jethro was also scheduled to speak. Clearly, it wasn't because of Stratagem Tech's prowess, but due to the immense influence of the Blackwood Group. To put it bluntly, it was because the Blackwood Group was a major taxpayer in Aethelburg. The government might not have wanted to, but they paid too much! Understanding this, Darcy smiled wryly. But Zane didn't see it that way.