Chapter 27 — The Machine of Dreams

Three group stage matches took place consecutively in the morning, with more intensity than any tournament Lê Quý Đôn had ever participated in before. The opponents in the national finals were all the strongest teams from all provinces and cities, each team bringing impressive technical innovations that the team had never seen before.

The first match went quite smoothly, the Đức robot excellently completed the basic tasks, especially the smooth performance on the inclined slope thanks to the center of gravity adjustment solution that had become the team's signature strength. The first victory brought a positive energy, dispelling much of the initial nervousness.

But the second match was a completely different story. The opponent, a team from a famous specialized school in the capital, possessed a robot with outstanding speed and accuracy, causing Lê Quý Đôn's team to struggle to chase the whole match. In the last seconds, despite its best efforts, the Đức robot still lost with a large score difference.

"It's okay," Hoàng Nam reassured the team right after the loss, her voice still surprisingly calm compared to what Bảo Châu had witnessed from him in the past. "One loss doesn't decide everything. We still have the third match to improve our ranking position."

That calmness, different from the panic reaction and harsh self-blame that Hoàng Nam had shown after previous small failures, made Bảo Châu clearly realize the remarkable growth she had achieved through a long and challenging journey.

In the third match, Lê Quý Đôn's team played with great determination, taking full advantage of all the technical advantages that had been honed through many months of practice. The Đức robot successfully completed all tasks, including the new object stacking challenge — a clear testament to the tireless efforts of the previous three days of rushed repairs — winning convincingly.

Ending the group stage with a record of two wins and one loss, Lê Quý Đôn's team ranked second in Group D, qualifying for the national semi-finals taking place on the same afternoon - an unprecedented schedule compared to the previous regional qualifiers.

"There are only thirty minutes to prepare before the semi-finals," Mr. Vinh announced, his voice a bit worried as he looked at the clock. "You guys need to quickly check the robot's status, especially after three consecutive morning matches."

The whole team quickly checked every detail, discovering a few small signs of wear and tear on the wheels due to continuous operation, but Đức quickly fixed it by replacing it with a set of spare wheels prepared in advance, a valuable lesson learned from the last overnight rehearsal before leaving.

The national semi-final match was against Bảo Long's own team, Nguyễn Huệ's team, which also excellently passed the group stage with a winning record. When the two teams met in the preparation area before the match, the tense atmosphere of a decisive match mixed with the respect and friendliness that had been built through many previous encounters.

"Exactly as I predicted from the exchange yesterday," Bảo Long said, shaking Hoàng Nam's hand before the match, smiling confidently but no less appreciative of his opponent. "This match will definitely be the best match of the day."

"Good luck," Hoàng Nam replied, his eyes determined. "No matter who wins, this will be a memorable match."

The semi-finals took place with unprecedented dramatic intensity, the two robots continuously struggled for scores from beginning to end, making the entire audience hold their breath as they watched every second and every minute. Both teams showed off their most skillful techniques that they had worked hard to practice all season long, with no one willing to give up even a small point to the other.

In the final seconds, when the score was still very close, Nguyễn Huệ's team's robot successfully performed an object stacking shot at the highest difficulty level, scoring another decisive score right before the time-out buzzer sounded. The final scoreboard displays the results: team Nguyễn Huệ won, advancing to the national final, while team Lê Quý Đôn stopped in the semi-finals.

A silence covered Lê Quý Đôn's team area when the results were announced. Đức bowed his head, unable to hide his disappointment, while Tấn Phát sighed heavily, looking at the Đức robot standing motionless on the field as if it too felt the team's regret.

But Hoàng Nam, after a short moment of silence, came forward to shake Bảo Long's hand with a sincere, not forced, smile. “Congratulations,” he said, his voice surprisingly sincere. "Great match. You guys deserved to be in the finals."

"Thank you," Bảo Long replied, squeezing Hoàng Nam's hand, his eyes full of respect. "This match was much more difficult than I thought. Your team has improved significantly compared to the first meeting."

Bảo Châu, standing and looking at that scene, felt a sense of pride creeping in amidst the sadness of failure - proud of the way Hoàng Nam accepted failure with a maturity and composure that she had never seen in him before, a clear testament to what they had both learned together throughout this tumultuous school year.

The organizers announced that the losing team in both semi-finals would continue to compete in the third-place match the next morning, before the official final took place in the afternoon of the same day. That news brought a new ray of hope to the whole Lê Quý Đôn team, which was in a state of despair after a close loss.

"There's still a chance to win the bronze medal," said teacher Vinh, his voice encouraging, placing his hand on each member's shoulder. "Don't let today's sadness make you forget what you have achieved. Being among the four strongest teams in the country, after three consecutive years without any significant achievements, is already a miracle."

Right after that, amidst the gradually dispersing crowd of spectators, Bảo Châu saw Hoàng Nam's parents approaching the team area, a surprise because they had always kept their distance and only observed from afar. Doctor Ngoc Mai, her eyes still clearly emotional, hugged her son, a rare gesture that Hoàng Nam seemed equally surprised by.

"I've never seen you so focused and determined," she said, her voice choked up. "The way you controlled the team, the way you accepted the recent defeat... I'm very proud of you, Hoàng Nam."

"Thank you, mom," Hoàng Nam replied, his voice shaking with emotion, unable to hide the tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

Doctor Dinh Quang Hai, who rarely shows emotions, stood nearby, nodding at his son, his eyes containing a silent but no less sincere acknowledgment. "The last match was very good," he said, his voice still somewhat stern but had softened considerably. "Dad never fully understood the complexity of this intellectual sport until he witnessed it with his own eyes. It seems like he's been underestimating it all this time."

That admission, although not a complete agreement about Hoàng Nam's future path, still held great meaning for him, and Bảo Châu could clearly see the happiness sparkling in her lover's eyes when he heard those words from his father.

"Do you want to meet the guys on my team?" Hoàng Nam asked, his voice full of hope, gesturing towards Bảo Châu, Tấn Phát and Đức standing nearby.

Doctor Ngoc Mai nodded, walked over to shake hands with each person, his eyes stayed a little longer when it was Bảo Châu's turn. "Thank you," she said, her voice sincere. "For everything you have done for Hoàng Nam."

"I'm simply a teammate," Bảo Châu replied, a bit confused by the sudden attention, but filled with an indescribable joy at the recognition.

"Not only that," Dr. Ngoc Mai said, a rare but warm smile appeared on her face, making Bảo Châu briefly recognize the similarity with Hoàng Nam's rare smile. "You can see that clearly in the way your son looks at you."

That evening, the whole team returned to the hotel with a complicated feeling - both regretful for missing the opportunity to reach the finals, proud for the best achievement in the club's history, and for Hoàng Nam, there was also a new happiness when he felt genuine recognition from his own parents for the first time. Before going to bed, the whole team gathered to mentally prepare for the third place match the next morning, determined to end this meaningful journey with the most worthy result possible.