Steele and Lex worked feverishly, their minds racing against the clock. In the end, it was Lex who emerged victorious, solving the equation with ease: $$x^2 + 3x - 4 = 5(x + 2)$$, which simplified to $$x^2 + 3x - 4 = 5x + 10$$, and finally to $$x^2 - 2x - 14 = 0$$.