But now, the campus had seemingly transformed into a feverish incubator.
Alan saw a group of young engineers in T-shirts gathered around a strange-looking quadrupedal robot, debugging code.
Not far away, several men in suits with thick German accents were fiercely debating something with university professors, waving thick technical blueprints in their hands.
The outer walls of the academic buildings were plastered with massive posters.
"The Pittsburgh Computing Power Special Zone: Engine of the Future."
"Join Us, Reshape Industrial Civilization."
Even the roadside cafes were filled with entrepreneurs on video calls, their screens displaying either business plans or complex CAD models.
The air here was filled with a scent that made the heart race.
It was the smell of money, technology, and ambition all mixed together.
Alan made his way through the bustling crowd and arrived at the entrance to a massive academic conference hall.
