She had already noticed the telltale signs that this was different from the episode they had just aired.

All the color drained from the director's face. He could almost feel his heart stop.

This... If only he hadn't put so much faith in the technical department and decided to play the unedited shots instead... Perhaps they could still have salvaged the fiasco that had unfolded after the first episode.

“Haha! I knew it! I knew there was another, more truthful version!"

“People in front, please move over and make space, thank you. Let's enjoy our popcorn for this wonderful show!"

“Everyone, feel free to spot the differences between the two broadcasts. Let's list down each of the shots Maria is in that the production team deleted."

In a stark contrast to the gloomy mood in the headquarters, the viewers were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Sure enough, the two versions were vastly different from one another. When Gary picked up the microphone after the Q&A session, he actually pointed at Maria when he said those words—"I hope you'll be the one to answer this question someday."

Needless to say, the audience tittered with excitement.

“What the hell?!" one of the viewers commented in indignation.

“I know, right?" another chimed in.

“I'm aware that Maria is an amazing woman who has exceeded our expectations so far, but why would those scholars direct such a comment to her?"

“There's only one explanation. It's because Maria is the best of them all!

Thankfully, they weren't kept in suspense for much longer. Soon, Chaz was asking about Maria's identity on the screen.

“Mr. Newman, could you kindly introduce this lady to us? I am curious about her true identity.”

Her name is Maria Jenkins. She is a researcher at our No.1 Research Institute, but she doesn't really work for us. She's just on loan, meaning she's only temporarily with us to help us out."

Upon hearing this, Chaz gaped at Maria in surprise, much like the rest of the audience did.

“Mr. Newman, did you just say that... She is a researcher? Not an assistant researcher? Or something Like that?"

“Yes, she is a researcher," Gary repeated calmly.

So Maria was a researcher?

There was a significant chunk of the viewers who belonged in the field of science, and they wasted no time backing Maria up in the comment section.

“A researcher is a senior position equivalent to a tenured professor at a university, but they don't hold lectures or other teaching duties."

“The No. 1 Research Institute of Broome University is actually located in Sheffield. It is the only academy of science that belonged to Broome University but wasn't set up in the capital city. The main pursuits of the No. 1 Research Institute are still unknown. Their research projects are in a private archive and were never released to the public. They have been known to make certain strides in their research and even received certain accolades, but the details are also kept secret."

“Don't bother looking them up on the Internet, either. Their information is classified as confidential and protected by authorities."