The businessman who had been recording lowered his phone.
The woman near the elevator whispered to her husband again.
But this time, the subject of the conversation was different.
Inside the elevator, Edward looked at Noah.
"Did he hurt you?"
"No."
"Did he threaten you?"
"He said he would have me removed."
Edward nodded.
"That's unacceptable."
Noah looked at the floor numbers.
"I don't want him to lose his job because of me."
Edward turned toward him.
"Why not?"
"Because he may have been trying to do his job. He just handled it badly."
Edward studied the young man.
"That's generous."
"I know what it's like to make mistakes."
Edward smiled slightly.
"There's a difference between making a mistake and refusing to check whether you're wrong."
The elevator doors opened.
They entered a private conference area.
A group of engineers and foundation representatives were waiting.
Noah placed his backpack on the table.
Edward introduced him.
"This is Noah Bennett. He's the developer behind Lifeline."
A senior engineer named Dr. Helen Carter stood.
"We've been looking forward to meeting you."
Noah shook her hand.
"Thank you for coming."
Helen looked at the prototype.
"Is this the latest version?"
"Yes. I added the revised power management module last week."
"May I see the internal layout?"
"Of course."
Noah opened the case.
For the next hour, he presented the technology.
He explained how the network formed, how messages were routed, and how the system could be deployed in areas where ordinary communication infrastructure was damaged.
The engineers asked difficult questions.
Noah answered carefully.
He did not pretend the device could solve every problem.
He explained its limitations.
He described the conditions under which it might fail.
He even presented a list of problems he had not yet solved.
Edward watched quietly.
At one point, Dr. Carter asked:
"Why did you choose such a simple design?"
Noah replied:
"Because emergency workers don't need complicated equipment. They need something they can understand, repair, and use when they're tired, frightened, and working in difficult conditions."
Helen nodded.
"That's an important principle."
Another engineer asked about production costs.
Noah displayed his calculations.
The first batch would be expensive because of the testing and manufacturing setup.
But with a larger production run, the cost per unit could fall significantly.
Edward leaned forward.
"What would you do with the funding if we approved it?"
Noah answered without hesitation.
"I would build a proper testing team, work with emergency response organizations, and create a training program. I don't want to sell thousands of devices before knowing whether they work in real conditions."
Edward smiled.
"That's what I wanted to hear."
The meeting continued until late evening.
By the end, the foundation had agreed to support a six-month pilot program.
The funding would cover independent testing, manufacturing prototypes, and field trials with emergency response teams.
Noah signed the preliminary agreement.
His hands trembled slightly.
He had imagined receiving funding.
He had imagined the possibility of building a company.
But he had not imagined that the first major obstacle of the evening would be convincing a security guard that he belonged in the building.
Edward noticed his expression.
"Something on your mind?"
Noah hesitated.
"I keep thinking about what happened downstairs."
"Why?"
"Because it made me wonder how many people are treated that way every day."
Edward nodded.
"Probably more than we realize."
Noah continued.
"I understand that security officers need to be careful. But there should be a way to check information without judging people."