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A product key is a 25-character code used to activate a Microsoft Office product, including Microsoft Word. It's essential for verifying that the software is genuine and has been purchased from an authorized retailer.

The cursor blinked in the lower-left corner of the screen, a slow, patient metronome marking the final minutes of Ben’s deadline. His thesis, "The Role of Symbiotic Fungi in Coastal Dune Ecosystems," sat at 97% complete. The remaining 3%—the conclusion, the bibliography, the final sigh of a three-year project—was locked behind a pale yellow wall.

He finished the bibliography by 1:14 AM. He saved the file to OneDrive. Then, for good measure, he downloaded a local copy as a PDF.

Ben stared at the date on the article. It was three years old.