Rebirth: One Day to Ruin a Prodigy

Mom and Dad aren't bothered at all when I completely start slacking off. Kennedy Quinlan, my girlfriend's brother, who has established a reputation as a genius inventor, completely breaks down, while I slack off instead of conducting research in the lab. In my past life, Kennedy files an identical patent application just one day before I do, causing everyone to brand me as a fraud and accuse me of blatant plagiarism. I try to explain myself, but no one believes me. Kennedy eventually launches a live stream to blast me online, accusing me of trying to scam my way into their family's fortune. They run a massive cyberbullying campaign against my whole family. Mom and Dad only want to clear things up, but Kennedy's crazed fans push them off a high-rise building, leaving them to die in unresolved grief. Unable to handle the blow, I fall into a severe depression and end up slitting my wrists. I still can't wrap my head around the whole situation, even in my final moments. It is obviously the fruit of my own painstaking research, so why does someone else get to file the patent first? I suddenly open my eyes and find myself back on the day before my invention is stolen. Chapter 1 I could hear the ticking sound of electronic equipment that resembled a heartbeat, and the moment I opened my eyes in a daze, I realized that I wasn't dead—I had been reborn. It was then that a few junior labmates walked into the laboratory one after another, saying with envy, "You're truly a genius, Callum! Your invention is bound to create a technological boom in the country once it's completed! We'll all benefit from your success, Callum!" Hunter Lane, my research supervisor and mentor, walked over and patted me on the shoulder with satisfaction. "You've done so much for the lab these past few months, Callum. Without you, the lab never would have attracted this much funding. "I'm convinced that once your invention is complete, it'll move technological development ahead by decades, Callum." I listened in a daze, a heavy weight pressing against my chest until I could barely breathe. In my past life, after plagiarism allegations were made against me, the laboratory became a target of universal scorn overnight, causing investors to withdraw their capital to avoid risk. Dr. Lane and my junior labmates stepped forward to defend me, but their personal information was soon doxed. They were all trapped in a vicious cycle of cyberbullying, and Dr. Lane, who was nearly 60, was eventually led to jump to his death. As I looked at the invention model, now halfway through its testing phase, a sudden shiver ran down my spine. A dark, painful memory came rushing back. In my past life, I had stayed up all night on August 30th to complete the invention and had excitedly submitted an application to the patent office for it. The very next day, however, I received a notice ordering me to attend a mandatory audit. Following a technical comparison, the patent office concluded that I had committed plagiarism. Before long, the entire internet had turned against me. "How shameless of him to actually plagiarize this kind of high-tech invention! These plagiarists deserve the worst!" "It's such a blatant case of plagiarism. I think they should conduct a thorough investigation of the entire lab." "I know, right? I mean, with a 99% similarity rate, he's obviously a serial plagiarist. He should be ashamed of himself." I would be met with strangers' hateful and disdainful stares even when I walked down the street like anyone else, and some would even curse at me directly. "That's the guy who was exposed online for plagiarizing that genius researcher! How disgusting!" "Who does he think he is, trying to leech off a prominent figure? He should take a good look at himself in the mirror first! Does he really think he's on the same level?" "He must have been jealous of the other person's invention, which is why he decided to plagiarize it. He's just completely despicable!" They looked at me with hatred and malice, as though they wished I could vanish from the face of the earth. I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine as the flashback stopped there. I instantly opened my phone and clicked into Kennedy Quinlan's social media profile. He was the man who had reported me for plagiarism in my past life. He was also the younger brother of my girlfriend, Maisie Quinlan. Kennedy was tall, good-looking, and the youngest in the family, which meant that he was spoiled and loved by everyone. His clean-cut, gentle appearance attracted countless female fans online, and he was even voted "the most handsome researcher" by thousands of people. Maisie, being his older sister, doted on him immensely, to a degree that I considered overdone. She cooked all his meals every day and brought them to the lab, picked him up and dropped him off herself, washed his laundry—including his underwear—and even helped him pay for a house. She had even insisted that I put Kennedy's name on the title of the marital home I bought for us when I proposed to her. She had stated without any hesitation, "Kennedy is the sole heir to the Quinlan family, so whoever I marry has to treat him well, Callum." I couldn't endure it any longer, so I asked for a breakup. Maisie seemed to finally realize her mistake. She wept as she promised never to put Kennedy before me again, pleading desperately for my forgiveness. I wasn't going to be soft-hearted in this life. I tapped into Kennedy's social media profile, which boasted millions of followers, and noticed that his latest post consisted of just a few selfies of him posing with the new invention. It even included a caption that read, "It's a new invention that I stayed up all night working on! It's about to be released soon, so I hope everyone looks forward to it!" I grew suspicious and enlarged the photos to examine them carefully. I discovered that it was completely identical to my design blueprints. The connection module I had created was even visible in the invention he shared. I was stunned when I saw this, wondering if such a striking similarity could truly happen. He had made the post a day before I finished my blueprints, which meant that his invention had been designed before mine. However, I had researched both the invention and the original module completely on my own without ever consulting any technical materials. How could Kennedy's invention be the same as mine? It was to the point that even the numerical values I had miscalculated were copied over exactly. I found the whole situation way too bizarre. I buried my face in my hands, my thoughts a tangled mess as I couldn't figure out how this was possible. I couldn't just terminate the research on my own, as the investors funding the lab had already pressed me multiple times. They were on the verge of starting mass production, so if I ended the project now, I might drag the entire lab down with me. I stared motionlessly at the invention model on the workbench for a long while before I finally calmed down. I had been given a second chance at life, so no matter what, I was determined to protect those close to me and prove my innocence. I packed up the prototype, gathered the drawings and drafts scattered across the table, and locked them all in the cabinet. Chapter 2 I had the highest score on the SAT and specialized in quantum technology. I pursued the field I enjoyed and completed a combined undergraduate and graduate program all the way through to my PhD. I started conducting research as a student and possessed numerous invention patents. After graduating, I accepted Dr. Lane's invitation to join his lab, where I devoted myself to research with the goal of creating a groundbreaking invention that would advance technology. I chose the most difficult research track because of this, didn't take a single day off for three years, and spent all my time in the lab. I had received job offers from labs abroad during that period, but I turned them all down solely because I wanted to stay and serve my country. I never imagined that the fruits of my relentless effort would be branded as plagiarism. I was walking home under the starry, moonlit sky. The more I reflected on the situation, the more suspicious it seemed. Amid my chaotic thoughts, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed through my mind. I figured that since my current project was no longer viable, I could simply switch my focus to the research of the accessory module. After all, quantum technology was a broad field, and technological innovation wasn't limited to one area. When I arrived home, I went straight to work. I turned on my computer to begin calculations and simulations immediately. After hours of intense thinking, the problems that had once seemed insurmountable became easier to understand, and a new model emerged in my mind. I would no longer be accused of plagiarism with this approach, and more importantly, this new invention could offer quantum technology a fresh perspective. I grew more excited as I worked through the numbers, quickly organizing and perfecting the new model. I kept going until I heard Mom's anxious voice from behind me. "I know you want to do something for the country, but staying up all night is not good for your health, Callum. I won't ask for much. I just want you to be safe and healthy." I looked at my phone with a hint of confusion, only to realize that it was already 5:30 am. Mom draped a blanket over my shoulders and said reassuringly, "You still have a month to file for the patent, so there's no need to rush right now, Callum." I was overwhelmed with guilt when I looked into Mom's aged, clouded eyes. I had devoted all my time to my career and had rarely been there for my parents. In the end, the plagiarism accusation had even caused them to die tragically in my past life. I let out a long sigh at that thought. I quickly reassured Mom and then kept working through the night to finish designing Invention 2.0. I finally breathed a sigh of relief as I looked at the completed blueprints. At last, I had completed my own invention. I would never be accused of plagiarism again, nor would I let my parents be put in harm's way. I remembered that in my past life, Kennedy had not only reported me for plagiarism but had also slandered me online, claiming that I was trying to seize the Quinlan family's assets through Maisie. He spoke with absolute conviction before the camera, causing his countless mindless fans to attack me on his behalf online. "How can this leech be so shameless? He plagiarized the younger brother's work and now intends to harm the older sister!" "The Quinlans are so unfortunate to cross paths with someone like you! Do everyone a favor and die already!" "We're the only ones who can protect Kennedy! Who's going to dig up this bastard's phone number and dox the shit out of him?" In my past life, I couldn't understand why Kennedy would falsely accuse me. I had scrambled to find a lawyer to clear my name, which only worsened the cyberbullying. But no matter how out of the loop Mom and Dad were, they eventually learned about what happened. They had agreed to be interviewed by a reporter to defend me, but the moment they stepped out the door, a few extremist fans pushed them off a high-rise building. I clenched both fists tightly as I thought about this, my fingernails digging deep into my palms. I knew that if I didn't find out the root cause of everything that had happened, it would be hard to guarantee that the events of my past life would not repeat themselves in this life. I was thinking about how to begin my investigation when the junior researcher next to me exclaimed, "Did you guys see the video Kennedy posted? Someone actually plagiarized his invention! He loves posting videos to show off, so it's no surprise that someone plagiarized his work. "I just can't believe someone actually had the nerve to do it! I mean, plagiarism is so disgraceful! Who on earth could be this shameless to do it?" I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as soon as I heard what they said. I immediately took out my phone and tapped into Kennedy's social media profile. Chapter 3 In Kennedy's new social media post, he added a caption along with the video, stating, "Isn't it ridiculous to plagiarize someone else's invention and pass it off as your own?" I felt my heart skip a beat as a terrifying possibility came to mind. The massive wave of online abuse I faced in my past life might have been triggered by this video. Kennedy was well-liked online. His parents were professors, and his sister was a journalist. I, on the other hand, was just a plain-looking researcher who had remained out of the public eye. It was only natural that the public's sympathy had tilted in his favor. Just as I expected, the video soon gained tens of thousands of comments and shares. "Who could be so shameless as to steal Kennedy's invention?" "You have to tell your sister right away, Kennedy! Have her expose this through mainstream media so that this plagiarist gets blacklisted from the industry!" "You have nothing to be afraid of, Kennedy! We've got your back! Who's going to dox this plagiarist?" I couldn't hold back my rage anymore after reading those comments. I felt like I was reliving the nightmare of my past life. I had received thousands of hateful messages every day back then. I had held Mom and Dad's funeral while still devastated by their deaths at the hands of extremist fans. Those online trolls disrupted the funeral, smashed my parents' portraits, and intentionally brought party poppers to celebrate. "You're a shameless social climber and plagiarist! Your parents must have been just as awful as you. They got what they deserved!" "Your parents are both dead, so you should join them! Your shameless family deserves to be entirely wiped out!" I couldn't protect the people around me and had developed severe depression in my past life. I suddenly couldn't catch my breath as the agonizing memories flooded back. I instinctively turned off my phone, but not before I saw my name in the latest comments. "Is Kennedy referring to Callum? I saw their lab announce an upcoming invention before, and it looked really similar to Kennedy's!" "Are you serious? I can't believe someone would actually dare to plagiarize another person so openly! That's so shameless of him! Someone call him out and tag him!" "Who is this nobody? How dare he copy Kennedy's invention and try to use his reputation for attention! I'm going to tear him apart!" It wasn't long before thousands of people echoed the comment. Kennedy's fans started their own hashtags, mass-reposted them, and spread the story to defend him. Consequently, hashtags such as #GeniusKennedy and #KennedyWasPlagiarized appeared on the top trending lists. Maisie publicly spoke out to take a stand, supporting Kennedy in defending his rights. "Kennedy is a vital asset to the country. He has sacrificed sleep and rest for his new invention, with the sole purpose of serving the nation! Who would have thought that he would be plagiarized? "I hope the plagiarist will step forward on their own to admit their mistake. Otherwise, I'll personally expose their crimes!" Maisie's video racked up tens of thousands of likes within half an hour. Kennedy even left a comment that read, "Thanks for having my back and exposing this, Maisie! You're the best!" I felt a sharp pang in my chest, though I still felt incredibly relieved. I was relieved that I hadn't handed over Version 1.0 of the invention to the lab yesterday. If I had, I would be dealing with a whole new wave of cyberbullying that day. I forced myself to calm down and got ready to meet with Dr. Lane about my breakthrough, but my phone suddenly buzzed with a new notification just then. Kennedy had just made another post. "Thanks for all the support, everyone. I know the plagiarism incident has already been confirmed, so I adjusted my approach in time and redesigned Invention 2.0. That takes real talent, which is something a plagiarist will never have! "Here are my new blueprints. Thank you all for witnessing my achievement!" I anxiously zoomed in on the photo he posted, only to discover that it was identical to my Invention 2.0.