Ch. 551..560

Chapter 551 Catherine’s Boyfriend

When Catherine spoke, Branden had already gotten up and stood behind her. In the moonlight streaming through the window, his perfect abs were clearly visible.

“Aren’t you going out?” His deep voice brought Catherine’s wandering thoughts back.

As Catherine snapped back to reality, Branden had already put on a white shirt. While she was in a daze, he casually picked up her jacket and helped her put it on.

But this jacket was a bit… thick. It was summer now, but he had brought her a long-sleeved jacket.

Noticing Catherine’s puzzled expression, Branden explained earnestly, “It gets chilly at night. It’s better to wear more.”

This wasn’t the first time Branden had done something like this. Indeed, nights were much colder than the daytime, so Catherine went along with him. The main reason was that she felt it would be too troublesome to take off her clothes again.

The two of them went downstairs together. Branden didn’t notify anyone. He just took the car keys and brought Catherine along.

“Address,” he said.

Catherine forwarded the location that Withal had just sent to her phone to Branden.

Originally, Catherine wanted to tell him to stay at home. But seeing that Branden had no intention of consulting her, she agreed.

The address given by Withal was for a hotel in the city center. The busier the place, the safer it was for them now.

When they arrived at the door of the room, Catherine dialed Withal’s number. The next second, the door opened. Withal was about to say something to Catherine but froze upon seeing Branden next to her.

This was the first time Catherine had brought a man along. Although he knew they were in a relationship, he didn’t expect their relationship to be this firm.

Withal came back to his senses and stepped aside, inviting the two of them in.

“Where’s Zobber?” Catherine asked as soon as she entered the room.

Withal pointed in the direction of the room behind him. Catherine glanced at Branden. He nodded coldly and sat down on the nearby sofa.

Catherine walked toward the room. Pushing open the door, Catherine saw Zobber lying on the bed. Her complexion was pale, and her eyes were closed.

Perhaps sensing something, Zobber struggled to open her eyes. The moment she saw Catherine, her previously dull eyes suddenly lit up. She tried to sit up, but her movements caused pain in her wounds. Her face contorted in agony, and she involuntarily gasped in pain.

Catherine leaned against the side, her sparkling gem-like eyes fixed on Zobber.

“Good. You’re still alive,” Catherine said in a cold voice. Instead of deterring Zobber’s enthusiasm, these words only made Zobber more excited.

“Catherine, you knew I was injured, so you came here to see me, right?”

Before Catherine could respond, Zobber was already getting emotional.

“Catherine, you’re too good to me. I knew you must love me the most, right?

Catherine couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She remembered that when she recruited Zobber, Zobber wasn’t this emotional.

“What has she experienced over the years?” Catherine thought. “When did she become so dramatic?”

“Alright, if you can get out of bed, then come out.”

Catherine crossed her arms and walked out of the room. She had entered the room to assess Zobber’s injuries. Now she knew that Zobber’s injuries weren’t severe.

Since that was the case, Catherine decided to deal with the important matters first. She wanted to know who the other party was and why they dared to attack Zobber.

When Withal saw Catherine come out, he quickly went into the room to help Zobber out. He knew that Catherine was going to talk about the safe.

Withal supported Zobber and led her to the living room. When she saw Branden, who was sitting next to Catherine, she was completely shocked.

“This guy is really handsome!” She gave an exclamation of surprise in her mind. That made sense. Some men only looked good on the surface but lacked charisma and presence.

Branden was different. Not only was his face stunningly handsome, but he also exuded a domineering aura from head to toe. It made people both infatuated with his appearance and awed by him.

Most importantly, he was sitting next to Catherine.

Seeing Zobber staring at Branden in a daze, Withal quickly pulled her arm, signaling her to calm down. However, he accidentally tugged on Zobber’s wound, and she erupted in anger.

“Withal, can’t you see that I’m injured? Why are you pulling me when I’m already in pain?” Her tone was serious, indicating that she was getting annoyed.

Withal rolled his eyes. He had kindly saved her, but she didn’t appreciate it.

“I asked you to come out to talk about the mission, not to drool over Catherine’s boyfriend,” he said.

Zobber was about to retort, but then she processed what Withal had said and froze for a moment. She turned her head and stared at Withal, then at Branden, her face full of disbelief. ”

What did you say? Catherine’s boyfriend?”

Withal didn’t want to talk to her, so he chose to remain silent.

Seeing that Withal ignored her, Zobber locked her gaze on Branden.

This time, her gaze toward Branden no longer held infatuation but more of curiosity.

“Are you really Catherine’s boyfriend?” she asked.

Branden coldly raised his eyes to look at Zobber, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

Being stared at by him, Zobber took a step back in fear. His gaze was too intimidating, making her feel uneasy. She had never been afraid of anyone in her life, and no one had ever made her feel this way with just a glance. He was the first.

Knowing she might not be his match, Zobber looked at Catherine with pleading eyes and a pitiful, aggrieved expression on her face.

“Catherine, is he really your boyfriend?

11

Catherine leaned toward Branden. He skillfully wrapped his arm around her waist, allowing her to lean comfortably against him.

After that, Catherine’s gaze slowly fell on Zobber. She raised an eyebrow as she asked softly, “Since when do I have to report to you when I find a boyfriend?

This seemingly emotionless sentence frightened Zobber. Her face turned pale, and her whole body involuntarily trembled.

“Catherine, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that… I just…” Zobber started to babble in fear.

Catherine didn’t want to scold Zobber,

but Zobber was talking too much. If she

didn’t give Zobber a warning, Zobber

would continue to babble on.

“Enough, let’s get to the point,” Catherine said. Zobber immediately closed her mouth.

Withal explained the basic situation.

The three of them focused on discussing the matter, unaware that behind Catherine, Branden’s expression suddenly became serious after hearing their conversation.

“Wait a minute.” Catherine turned around in confusion to look at Branden.

Chapter 552 Spill the Truth

Branden’s voice caught the attention of the three of them.

Seeing everyone’s gaze on him, Branden remained calm. After all, he had gone through a lot of crises like this. He slowly lifted his head, his gentle gaze falling on Catherine.

“Are you looking for Mr. X’s safe?”

Catherine casually nodded. Since she had brought Branden, there was no need to hide it from him. “I took on a mission to find this safe.”

Branden sighed helplessly. His expression carried a faint smile, making it difficult to tell his current mood.

Catherine sat up straight, crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow as she stared at Branden beside her. That gaze seemed to say, “Spill the truth.”

If it were anyone else treating Branden with this attitude, they would have been sent straight to hell. But Catherine was different. She was the girl who held a special place in his heart, and he had to indulge her.

“Next time, why don’t you let me know before taking on a mission?” Branden’s tone carried a hint of helplessness, making Catherine instantly realize something. She spread her hands, uttering three words.

“Hand it over.”

Branden looked at Catherine with infinite doting in his eyes, softly saying, “Alright.”

He was even willing to give her his life if she wanted, not to mention a safe.

The conversation between Branden and Catherine left Zobber and Withal dumbfounded. “Why do these two big shots have to talk in riddles?” they both thought. “We can’t understand a single word you said.”

Zobber was confused. However, having just been scolded by Catherine, she didn’t dare to speak up.

Withal, on the other hand, couldn’t resist his curiosity and cautiously asked, “Excuse me, but can you tell me what we should do next?”

Catherine turned her head, glanced at him, and said softly, “Rest.”

“Rest?” Withal couldn’t quite grasp what Catherine meant. “But we haven’t found the safe yet, and we still don’t know who the other party is. How can we rest?”

“No need to look for it. Someone will deliver it,” Catherine replied simply, her tone cold but exuding an unquestionable dominance.

Given the current situation, Withal didn’t dare to ask any more questions. He simply nodded obediently. Besides, all he had to do was follow Catherine’s orders.

Once Catherine finished speaking, Branden held her hand and asked, ” Shall we go?”

Catherine had two things to do there, which were checking on Zobber’s condition and looking for the thing she wanted. Zobber was fine, and the thing she wanted would be handed to her personally. She had no need to worry. She could go back to sleep peacefully.

“Let’s go,” Catherine said and stood up.

Branden casually picked up the coat that Catherine had taken off when she entered the room and draped it over her shoulders.

“Put it on,” he said in a gentle tone that carried an undeniable dominance.

Catherine reluctantly reached out and put on the jacket. Seeing that she obediently dressed, Branden nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll go start the car. You can come down later.”

“Okay,” Catherine muttered. She knew that Branden was intentionally giving her time to talk to Withal and Zobber. After all, it was obvious that Withal and Zobber were dying to gossip.

As soon as Branden closed the door, Withal couldn’t resist his curiosity and rushed up to Catherine.

“Catherine, what exactly happened? Please explain it to us.”

Looking at his gossipy face, Catherine felt a bit helpless.

Withal was given the nickname Cold- Faced Withalist. It meant that he was not only ruthless and decisive but also cold-blooded and indifferent to everything.

Catherine now wondered whether the person who gave him that nickname was blind, brainless, or both.

Withal, with his gossipy appearance at the moment, could hardly be called Cold -Faced Withalist. Gossipy Withalist would be more accurate.

Turning her head to look at Zobber, Catherine saw that Zobber had an even more gossipy expression than Withal’s.

Catherine sighed in her mind. “How did I end up with these two idiots?” she wondered.

“Alright, it’s not as complicated as you guys imagine. You don’t need to look for the safe anymore. It seems that it was taken by Branden’s men,” Catherine explained simply. Withal instantly understood what was going on.

It was no wonder Catherine had reached out to get something from Branden earlier. It turned out she was asking him to give her the safe.

Zobber was dumbfounded when she heard that the safe was taken by Branden’s men. Her mouth was agape.

“What? Your boyfriend is so powerful? He can snatch it from Withal and me?” Zobber exclaimed.

The skeptical look Withal gave Zobber was full of disdain. “Girl, are you praising yourself?”

Zobber retorted angrily, “Do I have to call you a loser so that you will be happy?”

Withal was speechless.

Catherine smiled faintly as she watched the two of them banter.

“Alright, I’m leaving.”

After saying those two words, she departed gracefully. Catherine’s departure left Zobber feeling a bit disappointed. She instantly slumped onto the sofa, looking dejected.

“Why did Catherine leave so soon? I didn’t even get a chance to chat with her,” Zobber lamented.

Facing Catherine’s ultimate fangirl, Withal couldn’t help but feel helpless. Just as he was about to leave, Zobber called out to him.

“Wait!”

Withal turned around, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

Zobber got up and stared at Withal with determination.

“You still haven’t told me about Catherine’s boyfriend. Where does he come from?” She was dying of curiosity. She wanted to know everything related to Catherine.

Withal could tell from her expression that she wouldn’t give up until she found out.

“Stop gossiping, will you? Even Catherine herself might not know where her boyfriend comes from, let alone me,” Withal replied, thinking that this answer would finally put Zobber at ease.

But in the end, he realized that he didn’t understand women well enough.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zobber instantly perked up. The next moment, she pounced on him, grabbing his arm. She didn’t at all resemble someone who was injured. Instead, she had a fierce and intimidating aura.

“Oh my god, are they playing this game of not knowing each other’s backgrounds while dating, and then they slowly reveal their secrets? How exciting! Catherine is truly something. She has a special way of finding a boyfriend!”

Zobber stared at Withal with a fascinated expression, but it wasn’t directed at him.

Withal was well aware of this. He pouted, pushing Zobber away with a look of disdain.

“There must be something wrong with these women,” he murmured in his mind. “They like playing the game of not knowing each other’s backgrounds while dating, constantly revealing each other’s secrets. Is that considered romantic? Am I getting old, or have I become too vulgar to understand love?”

Chapter 553 I Trained Her

The next morning, Paxton arrived with his men at the entrance of the apartment next to Styre University.

Francis and Carlo stood at the door, enduring the wind blowing for the entire morning. Finally, they couldn’t take it anymore.

Carlo, always the talkative one, was the first to speak. “Paxton, what’s going on? We’ve been standing here for almost five hours. Can’t we go in yet?”

From seven in the morning until now, almost noon, Paxton showed no intention of opening the door.

The wind in Loxton was biting in the morning, and the scorching sun near noon made people dizzy. It was truly torture.

Paxton glanced at Carlo irritably and then looked down at the watch on his wrist. He said in a low voice, “Don’t be impatient. It’ll be another half an hour.

“It’ll be noon in half an hour,” Carlo retorted, annoyed.

“So what? Are you tired? Do you want me to throw you into the mines in Ravenloth?” Paxton’s tone was cold, and it scared Carlo.

Cory was currently working in the mines in Ravenloth. He now looked like a plump of charcoal. The conditions there were harsh, and Carlo surely didn’t want to go.

Last time, the king of Ravenloth gave Catherine a gold mine. To expedite the excavation of the gold inside, Branden arranged for Cory to work there. The reason there was a gold mine in that place was that it was rarely visited by people, and the conditions were extremely harsh.

Threatened by Paxton, Carlo instantly became obedient, not daring to say anything more.

Seeing that Carlo had shut up, Paxton stopped threatening him.

In fact, Paxton was holding back his anger. He was sent to stand in punishment by Branden the previous night, and he didn’t even have the time to complain. What right did Carlo have to make complaints?

If it wasn’t for Carlo and Francis not handling things well, they wouldn’t be standing there in punishment now.

The notice Branden sent Paxton the previous night required Paxton to arrive at seven in the morning, but he still hadn’t been notified to enter. Paxton knew very well what was going on. Now he could only wait obediently, hoping that Branden would let him in soon.

Inside the room, the summer sunlight shone on the tender skin of the person on the bed. Catherine woke up in a wave of heat, her sleepy eyes squinting as she looked ahead.

“What time is it?” Her voice sounded hoarse but cute, lacking the usual coldness.

Branden couldn’t help but smile when he heard the voice. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

“It’s almost noon. Do you want to rest a little longer or get up for lunch?” he asked.

Catherine, still half-asleep, shook her head and furrowed her brows. She wasn’t hungry. Although she didn’t get out of bed in the morning, Branden brought breakfast to her and fed her before letting her go back to sleep. It had only been four hours since breakfast, so she wasn’t hungry.

“I’ll get up, but I don’t want to have lunch yet,” she replied.

Branden hugged her affectionately and softly responded, “Alright.”

Catherine got up and walked to the window, stretching lazily in the sun. Since she had gotten up, she didn’t want to stay in bed. She caught a glimpse of three familiar figures below the window and paused for a moment, turning to look at Branden behind her.

“Paxton and his two brothers are downstairs. Shouldn’t we let them in?” she asked.

Catherine knew that it must be Branden who had asked them to come there. Branden didn’t say much. He just nodded at Catherine and took out his phone to unlock the door.

Click!

The sound caught the attention of the three people standing outside the door. Just after being reprimanded by Paxton, Carlo didn’t dare to act out and obediently stood there waiting for instructions. It was Paxton who confidently pushed open the door and led his two brothers into the house.

In the living room, Catherine was playing with her phone on the sofa, looking bored. Branden was busy in the kitchen.

When Francis and Carlo entered, they were dumbfounded to see their boss wearing an apron and cutting fruit. At that moment, they even began to wonder if the man in the kitchen was Branden Duncan or not.

Carlo was the most shocked, his mouth agape.

Paxton, on the other hand, remained composed. After all, he had seen even more submissive behavior than this. What was there to be surprised about?

After Branden finished cutting the fruit, he brought it over and sat down next to Catherine. He handed her the prepared fruit with a fork, taking care of her every need.

“We’ll have lunch later. Have some fruit first,” Branden said, attentively.

As Catherine looked at the beautifully arranged and perfectly cut fruit, she couldn’t help but feel tempted. She took a bite and found it quite tasty.

Seeing her start eating the fruit, Branden gave a faint smile. However, his gentleness only stayed with Catherine. When his gaze turned toward the three Duncans, it instantly turned cold and ruthless.

Carlo was so scared by Branden’s gaze that he almost fell to the ground. “Why is there such a difference in Boss’s attitude toward Catherine and us?” he wondered.

Paxton quickly placed the safe he was holding on the table. “Boss, this is the safe you asked for.”

Seeing Paxton getting down to business, Carlo and Francis immediately regained their composure.

Francis was the first to report on the mission. “Boss, besides the people from Rexinheim, there is another mysterious force searching for this safe. They are quite powerful.”

Hearing Francis’s words, Carlo quickly added, “And there was a woman on the mission. Her combat skills were quite good.”

Catherine, who was playing games on her cell phone, put down her phone and looked at Carlo.

Sensing Catherine’s gaze, Carlo thought he had said something wrong and quickly explained, “Miss Swann, although her combat skills are good, she definitely can’t compare to you.”

Carlo’s words brought a faint smile to Catherine’s indifferent face. Just as Carlo thought he had flattered her, he heard Catherine whisper, “You’re right. I trained her. Of course she can’t compare to me.”

“You’re right, Miss Swann. With her limited combat skills, how can she compare to you…” Carlo stopped halfway through his sentence, his eyes almost popping out. His mouth twitched as he asked, “You trained her?

She works for you?”

Catherine did not deny it. She gestured toward Branden.

Branden picked up the safe that Paxton had just placed on the table, handing it to Catherine.

Catherine took it without hesitation and then made a request. “Give me a laptop.”

Paxton quickly went to the study and brought out a laptop, handing it to Catherine.

As Catherine held the laptop and pounded away at the keyboard, the other three people still hadn’t recovered from their shock. It was at this moment they realized that they were fighting amongst themselves.

Chapter 554 You’re Truly Amazing!

In just 10 minutes, Catherine managed to open the safe.

Paxton, Francis, and Carlo watched her closely as her fingers swiftly tapped on the keyboard. They couldn’t see clearly what she was typing before the safe opened. They were shocked by what they had seen. Their mouths were agape.

Branden, on the other hand, leaned against the side with an expression of pride on his face. After all, his girl was truly outstanding.

After opening the safe, Catherine carefully took out the contents. Once she confirmed everything was in order, she took out her phone and contacted Zobber. With the task completed, she casually tossed the precious safe aside.

Catherine’s casual act dumbfounded Paxton, Francis, and Carlo. They knew Catherine’s formidable combat skills, but they never expected her to have such amazing computer skills.

They were well aware of how difficult it was to open the safe. Otherwise, the people from Rexinheim wouldn’t have risked their lives to take the entire safe away. They couldn’t open the box in Eskana and had to bring it back to Rexinheim, relying on experts in that country to find a way.

However, Catherine just effortlessly opened the safe.

Carlo was so astonished that he kneeled before her.

“Amazing. You are truly amazing.”

Catherine glanced at Carlo, finding him amusing.

“Stop flattering me. Let’s go play games.”

She had been playing a game recently that had a team battle mode, where two sides would compete against each other.

When they were on Scorpion Island, Catherine played the game with Carlo and Francis. These two were much better at gaming than Paxton. Since she was bored right now, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to play with some skilled players.

Carlo, hearing that Catherine was willing to play games with them, became excited.

“Wow! Great! Let’s do this!”

Carlo immediately took out his phone and connected with Catherine online.

Seeing that Francis hadn’t moved yet, Carlo kicked him.

“Why are you still standing there? Didn’t you hear Catherine’s orders?”

Francis glanced coldly at Carlo, causing the latter to shrink back in fear. Once Carlo shut up, Francis discreetly sought approval from Branden.

Paxton knew what Francis was thinking. He thought of Francis as a blockhead who couldn’t see the bigger picture. There was no need to seek their boss’s approval at all. Branden was clearly under Catherine’s spell. If she wanted to play games, Branden would allow them to accompany her. Even if they were in a real-life battle, Branden wouldn’t hesitate to bind them and offer them up to Catherine, allowing her to do as she pleased.

After receiving a response from Branden, Francis obediently took out his phone and connected with Catherine online. In fact, he was somewhat excited. It was mainly because Catherine was incredibly skilled, and playing games with her was always a thrilling experience.

The three of them successfully connected and officially started the game. Due to their high levels, they were matched with the top 10 players on the server. This was a world dominated by professional gamers with impeccable skills. It wasn’t an easy task to defeat them.

When Carlo saw the opponent’s ID, he couldn’t help but scream in excitement, “Wow, it’s the top-ranked player on the server! This is gonna be a challenge!”

Hearing this, the people nearby immediately gathered around to see what was going on. They all knew that Catherine was good at the game, but facing the top player on the server would definitely pose a challenge. After all, that person was the champion of the professional league.

Chapter 555 Dominating Her Opponents

When Zobber entered the house, she was stunned by what she saw. Catherine was sitting in the middle of the sofa. Several young men surrounded her. They were completely focused on her phone.

Zobber nudged Withal, asking, “What’s going on?”

Withal rolled his eyes. Lately, he felt like his eyes were twitching from rolling them too much.

“What’s going on? Can’t you tell that Catherine is playing games?” Withal replied, ignoring Zobber. How could he miss the thrilling scene of Catherine dominating her opponents?

Catherine had reached the final of this game. She was leading Francis and Carlo against four professional players from the opposing team.

Currently, the situation was that all three opponents, except the captain, had been eliminated. On their side, only Catherine remained.

It was now a one-on-one showdown between Catherine and the top-ranked player on the server, Hero.

Hero played for the powerful Golden Star Professional League and was considered the best player in the country for this game. His skills in mobile gaming were incredible, and he often represented Eskana in matches against foreign players. No one expected Catherine to be matched up against Hero for a showdown.

As the battle unfolded, Hero had taken an advantageous position. He was in the center of the circle and didn’t need to avoid the poison.

Catherine was on the edge of the circle, with only 10 seconds left before the poison would start closing in. There was no cover ahead. If she ran directly, she would undoubtedly lose.

At the Golden Star Training Center, all the team members were surprised to be matched against such a strong opponent while casually playing a game.

All three professional gamers on their team had been eliminated, leaving only their captain, Hero.

Jerry carefully watched the screen, observing his captain’s every move.

“Cap, we will win, right? The opponent will reveal their position when they try to enter the circle, and they will be doomed. But then again, I didn’t expect them to be this tough. Can’t believe these random players are so formidable. It’s truly terrifying,” Jerry said. His teammates all fell silent.

No one expected that a casual match would turn out to be so intense. They were professional players. But now, they had to rely on their captain to turn the tide. Those random players were much better at this game than they had imagined.

Hero silently stared at the screen, his eyes fixed on his surroundings.

Just as Jerry had said, they had underestimated the opponents’ skills. They never expected that a casual match would be more challenging than a professional league game. They had come to crush some noobs, but now they were in a one-on-one situation.

Although Hero had confidence in winning this round of the game, the fact that they had turned a casual match into such a situation was proof of their failure.

The 10-second countdown ended, and Catherine officially began her attack. She knew that her opponent had locked onto her. She couldn’t see their position, but that didn’t hinder her progress.

The poison zone was tens of times larger than the safety zone. Although the poison zone seemed perilous, the safety zone was even more dangerous.

Catherine pulled out a few smoke grenades from her backpack and threw them in all directions. She knew that the moment she threw the smoke grenades, she had exposed her position. Her opponent was not weak, so it wasn’t difficult for them to spot her.

After Catherine threw the smoke grenades, she immediately changed her position.

The moment Hero saw the smoke grenades being thrown, a smirk gradually appeared on his face, as he understood that the game was about to end. He took out his gun, pulled the trigger, and shot into the smoke.

The bullet grazed Catherine’s shoulder, but she skillfully dodged it. She quickly switched guns and started shooting at a rapid pace.

The game ended.

Jerry and his teammates stared at the second place on the screen, instantly dumbfounded. They thought their captain would win for sure, but it didn’t happen.

Jerry stood up instantly, bellowing, ” How is this possible? They must be cheating! There were no ballistics just now! How could it end like this? Maybe there’s a glitch in the game!”

Jerry angrily cursed, unable to accept the fact that their captain had lost. Hero, on the other hand, faced everything with calmness. He said casually, “It’s the VSS.”

Withal was stunned. “The VSS sniper rifle can indeed hide ballistics, but who would choose such a lousy gun in the final?” he analyzed. “Not to mention its low damage, its accuracy is shockingly low, making it practically useless at a certain distance. How confident was the opponent to use this gun?”

Hero looked at the opponent’s concise ID on the screen and fell into deep thought. He then opened the chat box and sent a message.

After finishing the game, Catherine noticed a small red dot on the chat box, so she clicked on it.

[Are you a professional player?]

Catherine glanced at it and then closed the chat box, completely ignoring it. She threw her phone aside, and cheers immediately erupted around her.

Carlo looked at Catherine with admiration on his face, shouting, Catherine! Super Catherine! You’re my idol! You just defeated Hero! You’re amazing!” 11

In that game, there was probably no one who didn’t know Hero. He was the best player on the server, not only in this game but also in several others. He never lost a battle.

But even such a top player had lost to Catherine.

Catherine, who was not a professional player and had not received long-term training, managed to defeat the top player on the server despite being at a geographical disadvantage. It proved just how formidable she was.

Not only Carlo, but everyone else also looked at Catherine in awe. She was so good at this game that they couldn’t help but admire her.

Sensing the excitement of these people, Zobber felt a bit unhappy. She approached Catherine, saying, Catherine, everyone played the game except for me. How about we play another round, and I join you?” 11

Catherine held the nearby documents and tapped Zobber on the head.

“Not before the mission is completed.”

Although reluctant, Zobber understood the priorities and carefully took the documents handed to her by Catherine, storing them in a bag.

“Alright, Catherine, so you promise that once I finish the mission, you’ll play a round of the game with me, right?”

Catherine didn’t respond or refuse.

Zobber assumed that Catherine had agreed. She believed that as long as Catherine had free time, Catherine would definitely play this game with her.

During the intense match between Catherine and the top player, Zobber hadn’t noticed the other people in the room. Now that the game had ended, she suddenly noticed Francis in the corner.

That day, the person who attacked her had a mask on, so she couldn’t see their face clearly. But at such a close distance, Zobber recognized him. Her eyes widened instantly, and she pointed at Francis, shouting, “You brat, it was you who attacked me, right?

Chapter 556 Punishment

Zobber suddenly shouted, startling everyone.

Francis slowly lifted his head and looked at Zobber with a calm expression. He had already learned from Catherine that the person he had fought against was Catherine’s ally. But he didn’t expect this girl to be so pretty.

Her vibrant purple-red hair looked bold and unrestrained.

Zobber, seeing Francis sizing her up, couldn’t help but ask irritably, “What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a beauty before? Be careful, or I’ll poke your eyes out.”

Francis remained calm. Although Zobber seemed fiery-tempered, he was not an ordinary person who got easily intimidated.

Carlo, standing nearby, couldn’t help but speak up for Francis when he saw Zobber making a fuss.

“How dare you call yourself a beauty in front of Catherine? Also, why did you shout so loudly for no reason? Do you think we’re deaf, just like you?”

Hearing Carlo’s mockery, Zobber immediately became furious.

“What did you say, you brat? Do you believe I’ll slap your face?”

Carlo showed no signs of backing down and said defiantly, “Come on. Try me.”

The two of them argued, just like children bickering.

Paxton couldn’t bear to watch, wondering why his subordinates were so childish. He cautiously stole a glance in Catherine’s direction, afraid of angering the person who was so precious to Branden.

Catherine leaned against the side, her head comfortably resting on Branden’s arm. She calmly watched Zobber and Carlo quarrel.

Seeing no signs of anger from Catherine, Paxton secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zobber, with a hot temper, immediately challenged Carlo to a duel.

Although Carlo was the least intelligent among the Duncan brothers, his combat skills were quite good, second only to Cory.

After a few moves, Zobber realized that she was no match for Carlo.

Catherine noticed this and spoke up.

“That’s enough.”

With just two words, the two immediately stopped fighting. Catherine was protective of her people, not allowing anyone to hurt them.

Zobber knew well what was going on and realized that Catherine was deliberately protecting her. She felt extremely happy and didn’t feel any shame.

Zobber proudly raised her eyebrows at Carlo, showing off that she had someone looking out for her.

Carlo looked a little bit jealous, wondering what it felt like to have someone powerful protecting him.

Zobber approached Catherine with flattery. “Catherine, you’re amazing. You managed to retrieve the mission so quickly.”

Catherine calmly replied, “It wasn’t a retrieval. It was a delivery.”

That made sense. Branden was willing to give her whatever she wanted.

Catherine glanced at Branden, and he immediately stood up and left, followed by Paxton, Francis, and Carlo.

Catherine wanted to assign Zobber the next task. They had obtained the contents of the safe, and now the challenge was to return them in a safe way.

In the study on the second floor, Branden sat at the main seat, facing the Duncan brothers.

Francis was the first to break the silence. “Boss, I don’t think those two people accompanying Miss Swann are ordinary. We just arrived at the warehouse in the northwest, and they immediately appeared. If we hadn’t been slightly faster, the safe would have ended up in Miss Swann’s hands even earlier.”

In Francis’s opinion, it was their boss’s decision as to who would possess the safe. He didn’t need to worry about it. But if he hadn’t completed the task, the situation would be different.

After Francis finished speaking, Carlo immediately added, “Boss, we received a message from our immediate superior. Besides us, the only ones who would have the coordinates of the abandoned factory in the northern suburbs are members of the Hacker Alliance. Could it be that these two people with Miss Swann are from the Hacker Alliance?”

Carlo really couldn’t understand what their boss was thinking. Catherine was like a puzzle. Nobody seemed to know who she really was. However, Branden didn’t seem to have any intention of investigating her, which was quite strange.

“Boss, are you really not going to investigate her?” Carlo asked again.

Branden lifted his head from the computer, coldly looking at Carlo.

Though his gaze seemed plain, it immediately stunned Carlo.

It was Francis who quietly kicked Carlo, prompting him to come back to his senses.

After Carlo realized what had happened, he immediately kneeled before Branden, obediently admitting his mistake.

“Boss, It’s my fault.”

Branden looked at him coldly. His voice was unusually icy as he said, “Carlo, it seems I have indulged you too much. You have learned to challenge your superiors.”

Such a simple sentence scared Carlo out of his wits, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. He instantly understood the meaning behind those words. He had indeed made a grave mistake, one that was unforgivable.

No matter what mysterious power Catherine had behind her, she was their boss’s woman, the future Mrs. Duncan. Talking behind her back was a challenge to authority.

“Boss, I was wrong. Please punish me,” Carlo pleaded.

Branden’s face showed a serious expression.

“Cory is applying to be transferred back. You will replace him for three months.”

Upon hearing the punishment, Carlo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

That was probably the lightest punishment. Although mining in Ravenloth was a tough job, it was still better than being sent to the Court of Punishment and getting tortured.

“Thank you, Boss. I will leave tomorrow.”

Not only Carlo but Paxton and Francis also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, they were brothers who had grown up together. They didn’t want Carlo to be severely punished.

Paxton asked, “Boss, when Cory comes back, should we let him stay in Casier or come to Loxton?”

“Loxton.” Branden made the decision without hesitation.

Cory was different from Carlo. Carlo had better combat skills and was more suitable for taking on missions. Cory, on the other hand, had a talent for business. Bringing Cory back to handle the Duncans’ business in Loxton and assisting Paxton would be a good plan. It was also an opportunity to give Carlo a lesson.

Downstairs, Catherine was assigning tasks without any reservations.

Zobber thought that Catherine had purposely kept Branden unaware, but now Catherine seemed to have no concerns at all. It made Zobber curious.

“Catherine, aren’t you afraid that the people upstairs will hear?” Zobber asked cautiously.

Catherine gave her a cold glance. ” What’s there to be afraid of?”

The reason she had asked Branden to leave was simply because she wasn’t used to having too many people around.

As for Branden, he had no intention of getting involved in these matters. After all, with the capabilities of the Duncans, he could find out about everything he wanted to know.

Zobber was still puzzled and asked carefully, “Catherine, what is the background of your boyfriend? The people around him don’t seem ordinary.

Since they could easily bring her down, they were definitely not ordinary people.

Catherine didn’t hide anything from Zobber and told her the truth.

“He’s the head of the Duncans and leader of Red Star.”

Chapter 557 Gaming Adonis

Zobber was focusing on completing the new mission Catherine assigned her, with no spare time to gossip.

The holiday had come to an end, and Catherine returned to school. After Beatrice left, the dorm room seemed more spacious and comfortable.

As soon as Catherine entered the room, she saw Amelia sitting on a chair with her feet propped up. Amelia was watching a live-streaming video on her computer.

Hearing the sound, Amelia turned her head and saw Catherine. She waved at Catherine excitedly and asked, ” Catherine, do you play the mobile game ‘PlayerUnknown’s Storms?'”

Catherine nodded slightly. She had indeed been playing that mobile game recently.

Amelia looked down on Isabella for being a bookworm and not playing games. Seeing Catherine nod, Amelia became extremely excited and quickly introduced her new idol.

“Catherine, since you play this game, you must know the top player, Hero. He’s become very popular on the internet, not only because he’s good at the game, but also because he’s incredibly handsome. He’s been dubbed ‘Gaming Adonis’ by his fans.”

Amelia excitedly pointed at the computer screen, almost dragging the man from inside the computer out and presenting him in front of Catherine.

Considering Amelia’s excessive excitement, Catherine glanced up at the computer screen.

Indeed, there was a pretty handsome face displayed on the screen.

The young man did have a handsome face. He had a refined oval face, a prominent nose, and three- dimensional facial features. He looked truly alluring.

Catherine took a quick glance and noticed the nameplate placed on the table. It was “Hero.”

For the past few days, there had been a player with the same name constantly sending her friend requests in the game.

Catherine had never accepted any of his requests. She never friended people she wasn’t familiar with.

Catherine’s lack of interest didn’t diminish Amelia’s enthusiasm. She continued to talk non-stop, introducing her new idol.

“Catherine, let me tell you, Hero is not only amazing at gaming, but he’s also incredibly intelligent. He’s in the same university as us. It’s said that he got accepted into Styre University this year. And because he’s participating in the competition, the school has granted him an exemption from physical training. Isn’t that amazing?”

Catherine didn’t say anything, as she had no interest in these gaming celebrities. Faced with Amelia’s enthusiasm, she just wanted to rest.

At the Golden Star Training Center, Hero’s teammates noticed that Hero was still staring blankly at his phone, which made them curious.

“Cap, hasn’t that mysterious player friended you yet?”

Hero furrowed his brow and remained silent. He had sent countless friend requests, but there was no response. He also noticed that the mysterious player hadn’t been online recently. He had checked this player’s game record and realized that she had only played a few dozen matches this season, which didn’t seem like the record of a professional player.

If this player was just an ordinary player, then they must have been an incredibly talented one. Having someone like them on the team would undoubtedly enhance their chances of winning the competition.

Knowing Hero’s dilemma, his teammates decided to give him some advice.

“Cap, I don’t think it will be difficult to find this person.”

Hero immediately looked up at his teammate. “Do you know this player?”

The teammate shook his head and said, “Of course not. If I knew such an amazing player, I would have bragged about it every day. Jacob is a computer genius at Styre University. We can trace this player’s location based on the IP address. Once we have the location, it should be much easier to find this player.”

Hero agreed with this idea. Even though it seemed a bit intrusive to invade someone’s privacy, in order to find this talent, he was willing to give it a try. Once he had made up his mind, he immediately stood up. “I’ll go talk with Jacob about it.”

In the female dormitory at Styre University, the sound of an alarm clock woke up the sleeping residents.

Isabella was always the first one up, followed by Amelia, and finally Catherine.

Unlike the other two, although Catherine woke up the latest, she was the quickest to leave. She was efficient and swift in her actions. With a simple tidying up, she could be ready to go.

As Catherine was about to leave, Amelia quickly called out to her, “Catherine, wait!”

Catherine turned around. Amelia pulled out a book and handed it to her. ” Catherine, your book. I went to pick it up for you yesterday.”

Catherine glanced down and reached out to accept it, saying softly, “Thanks.

This kind of thing was always taken care of by Ronin, and Catherine had never picked up her own books before. When she was at Loyalty Academy, her backpack was always kept in the drawer, with books from various subjects inside.

The way classes were conducted in college was a bit different, with no fixed classrooms. Depending on the course, students had to bring their own books to school for each class.

If it weren’t for Amelia’s reminder, Catherine would have just walked straight to the classroom like that.

Watching Catherine’s departing figure, Amelia couldn’t help but squint her eyes and turn to Isabella behind her.

“Bella, don’t you think Catherine has a great presence? She’s so cool when she said ‘thanks’ just now.”

Isabella chuckled and grabbed Amelia’s hand. “Alright, stop daydreaming and go to class. I don’t want to be late.”

Catherine walked downstairs and saw Ronin already waiting there. Holding a delicate food container, he rushed up to Catherine.

“Catherine, your breakfast.”

The lid of the food container was transparent, through which Catherine could see the delicious breakfast inside. All of it was her favorite, perfectly suited to her taste.

Catherine reached out and took it, asking in return, “Did you eat?”

“I did,” Ronin replied without hesitation. He had woken up at five in the morning just to prepare breakfast for Catherine. He knew that she wouldn’t be accustomed to the breakfast in the cafeteria. Since he was accompanying her to university, he had to take care of her from every aspect.

As for himself, he would just eat an egg later.

Ronin caught sight of the book in Catherine’s hand and widened his eyes in surprise.

“Catherine, you went to pick up the books yourself?”

He hadn’t known about this before. It was after his roommate told him that he knew he had to go pick up the books himself. After picking up his own books, he went to Catherine’s class and picked up her books as well.

Catherine raised the book in her hand and said, “Amelia picked them up for me.”

Hearing Catherine’s response, Ronin felt a little unhappy. His job had been taken over again. But it was a good thing. Catherine’s roommates weren’t annoying and were willing to take care of her.

Ronin was happy that Catherine seemed satisfied with the breakfast he had prepared.

“Catherine, I’ll accompany you to class.

Chapter 558 The New Teaching Assistant

Ronin had gotten Catherine’s class schedule before he got his own. He knew better than Catherine what classes she had that day.

Catherine left the dorm room early. There were more than 10 minutes before class, allowing Catherine to finish her breakfast in peace.

“Catherine, are you really planning to spend four years studying here?”

He had initially thought that Catherine was just there to experience college life, but now it seemed like she was getting more and more into the college student mindset. He was starting to have trouble understanding what she meant.

For Catherine, spending her days in the base doing research and projects was not different from going to college. For now, she was satisfied with her current life and had no plans to change it.

“Let’s take it one step at a time. Who knows what the future holds?”

Ronin agreed with her decision. For him, he would agree with anything she said.

Catherine stuffed the last piece of pastry into her mouth, wiped her hands with a tissue, and stood up to head toward the classroom.

“Class is about to start. Hurry up.”

Catherine’s concern was greatly appreciated by Ronin. He nodded obediently, quickly tidied up, and assured Catherine, “Don’t worry, Catherine. I won’t be late.”

The first class was taught by the most famous professor in the university, Marshall Hartley. The EIE department students were eagerly waiting for Professor Hartley’s class.

When Catherine entered the classroom, it was already full of people. Her presence immediately caught everyone’s attention. Her arrogant yet beautiful face was truly eye-catching. Coupled with the great presence she possessed, even if she tried to be low- key, it was difficult not to attract people’s attention.

Amelia had been in the classroom for a while and hadn’t seen Catherine. She didn’t expect Catherine to leave the dorm room earlier than her but arrive later. She quickly raised her hand and greeted Catherine.

“Catherine, over here!”

Upon hearing the voice, Catherine walked straight toward Amelia and sat down next to her. As soon as Catherine sat down, Amelia couldn’t wait to approach her, chattering away.

“Catherine, didn’t you leave the dorm earlier than me? How did you end up coming later?”

Out of politeness, Catherine responded with a few words, “I went to have breakfast.”

Amelia looked envious and said, ”

Catherine, it’s good to wake up early. I didn’t have breakfast, and now I’m so hungry. Could you please wake me up in the morning?”

Catherine glanced at her and said, “It seems that you wake up earlier than me.

“Well…” Amelia scratched the back of her head awkwardly and said, “From now on, I’ll finish cleaning up as soon as possible.”

Even though Amelia woke up early that morning, she didn’t eat breakfast because she was dragging her feet.

Catherine reached into her pocket, took out a handful of chocolates, and placed them on the desk.

“Here.”

These chocolates were specially prepared for her by Branden to replenish her energy when she had low blood sugar. They tasted good.

Amelia didn’t hesitate to take them and put one in her mouth. At first, Amelia didn’t pay much attention to it. After chewing a few bites, she realized that the chocolate was really delicious.

“Catherine, where did you buy it? It tastes so good. I want to buy some too.”

Catherine shrugged indifferently. “I don’t know. A friend of mine gave it to me.”

Upon hearing that, Amelia took out her phone and searched for it herself. After all, nowadays, it was easy to search for a specific product, thanks to the powerful image recognition function of all kinds of apps.

When the search was complete and the results appeared, Amelia was dumbfounded. She carefully read the details of the product, including the weight on the packaging. She was almost choked by her saliva in shock.

The chocolate she had just eaten cost a three-digit number, and Catherine had given her around eight chocolates.

In other words, the chocolates Catherine had just given her cost over four digits.

Amelia thought of the moment when she said that she also wanted to buy some, feeling embarrassed. However, Catherine didn’t mock her, which proved that Catherine treated her as her good friend.

After hesitating for a moment, Amelia quietly pushed the remaining chocolates toward Catherine.

“Catherine, I can’t accept them. They’re too expensive.”

Catherine had never checked the price of this kind of chocolate before. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Amelia. “Expensive?”

“Yes.” Amelia nodded. “It’s from Itasca, very expensive. No wonder it tastes so good.”

Catherine pursed her lips and smiled lightly, saying calmly, “There are many high-quality imitations on the market now. Just take them.”

“High-quality imitations?” Amelia was somewhat conflicted. “Could high- quality imitations taste this good?” she asked inwardly.

Soon, the bell for class rang.

Seeing that Catherine had no intention of taking back the chocolates, Amelia carefully put them away and placed them in her pocket.

Clack, clack, clack…

The sound of high heels tapping on the floor could be heard from outside, followed by a graceful figure entering the classroom.

“Hello, everyone. I am your teaching assistant, Jada Facer. Today is the first class at Styre University, and I’m sorry to inform you all that Professor Hartley is busy with an experiment and won’t be able to make it to this class for the time being.”

Catherine didn’t pay much attention at first, but when she heard the name Jada, she looked up. As she raised her head, Jada seemed to have noticed her presence as well. Jada looked her way.

Their eyes met, and Jada was momentarily stunned. She didn’t expect to see Catherine there. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she said with displeasure, “We are about to start the class, so unrelated people should leave immediately.”

While speaking, she kept her gaze fixed on Catherine. At first, the other students didn’t notice it. But as Jada continued to delay the start of the class, it caught their attention.

The temporary president of the EIE Classmates Union, Sophia Miller, immediately counted the number of students and stood up to report to Jada.

“All the students from the EIE class are present today. No one is absent.”

Catherine remained calm, sitting silently without being affected in the slightest. She wanted to know what Jada was going to do there.

Amelia had a feeling that Jada’s gaze was particularly unfriendly. She couldn’t help but ask, “Jada, do you think Catherine is not a student in our class? She’s the top student personally recruited by Professor Hartley from Casier. Professor Hartley even had a public dispute with a professor from the prestigious University of Penny just to recruit her. If she’s not in our class, nobody here is.”

As soon as the words fell, Jada’s face instantly darkened.

The student recruited by Marshall turned out to be Catherine, which shocked Jada to the core.

Chapter 559 Personal Grudges

Jada couldn’t bear it. She had heard before that Marshall had discovered a highly intelligent student during the admission process, and he had even snatched her from the University of Penny.

According to Marshall, he was particularly interested in this student and planned to bring her into his research group.

Jada had been following Marshall for a long time, from freshman year until now, always assisting him in any way she could. Not only that, but the Facers had also invested a considerable amount in Marshall’s laboratory; and this year was her chance to enter the lab.

What right did Catherine have to get into the research group?

Jada couldn’t believe it.

Anger and jealousy had made Jada lose her rationality. She looked at Catherine with annoyance and couldn’t care less about her image as she sneered. “These days, there are plenty of people who seek attention and create hype for themselves. Who knows if you’re the student Professor Hartley mentioned? Could it be true or just a made-up story?

As soon as Jada said that, the way people looked at Catherine changed. Some bystanders were immediately led astray by Jada’s words.

Amelia anxiously tugged at Catherine’s sleeve. “Catherine, you need to think of a way to clarify this situation. If you don’t show them the evidence, it will be troublesome in the future.”

Catherine didn’t want to explain in the first place, but Jada’s face was just so annoying.

Jada heard the discussions rising around her and felt somewhat pleased. She just wanted to see Catherine’s reputation destroyed.

Suddenly, Catherine stood up and stared directly at Jada. Jada stared back, refusing to back down. She somewhat smugly asked, ” What? Are you angry because I told the truth?”

Catherine looked calmly at her and said, “This is Styre University. I advise you to use your brain and not embarrass yourself like a clown here.”

“You…” Jada was instantly speechless. Her face turned red and looked particularly ridiculous.

Amelia also noticed that Jada was targeting Catherine. Jada’s high and mighty attitude was quite annoying. Seeing Catherine fight back, Amelia immediately came to her support.

“Exactly. This is Styre University. Rumors like these can be debunked in minutes. We’re not fools. Besides, Jada, Professor Hartley only recruited one student from Casier, and that student is Catherine.”

Catherine’s and Amelia’s words left Jada at a loss for words.

Jada was powerless to retort, her face turning dark with embarrassment. Just now, she made a foolish decision in a moment of anger and didn’t expect Catherine to react so quickly.

The atmosphere became thick with tension. Catherine didn’t want her. personal grudges to disrupt the class for the other students.

“It’s meaningless to say these things. Let’s not waste the first class,” Catherine said calmly. Many students nodded in agreement and urged Jada to start the class.

Jada was a senior at Styre University. She had been following Marshall for a long time. Although she wasn’t a top student, it wasn’t difficult for her to teach the basics to the freshmen.

Jada had originally wanted to showcase her abilities and prestige in front of the freshmen, but she was completely embarrassed by Catherine before the first class. All her plans were disrupted, and the first class ended in haste. As soon as the bell rang, she packed up and left the classroom awkwardly.

As soon as Jada left, whispers filled the classroom.

“Didn’t they say that students who can enter Professor Hartley’s research group are all exceptional? Why does that girl called Jada seem so average?”

“Perhaps some people are just not good with words and focus more on their projects. Those who can enter the research group are definitely not average students.”

Hearing the discussion between two classmates, someone who knew a little inside information stepped forward to argue, “I heard that Jada is the daughter of the Facers, one of the prominent families in Loxton. The Facers have sponsored a lot of projects of Professor Hartley’s lab.”

After saying that, this person gave everyone a meaningful look, leaving them to interpret it themselves.

Amelia came over to gossip with Catherine.

“I was wondering why Jada was so arrogant. Turns out she has such a powerful background.”

Amelia also grew up in Loxton, so she had heard of the Facers.

The Facers were well-known in Loxton as a wealthy and influential family, so it was no wonder Jada was so arrogant.

Catherine didn’t want to pay much attention to Jada’s background. She simply said, “Let’s go back to the dormitory.”

Amelia saw that Catherine wasn’t interested, so she stopped speaking, ready to go back to the dormitory with Catherine.

As they reached the classroom door, they were stopped by the president of the EIE Classmate Union, Sophia.

Since the physical training had just ended, the president of the EIE Classmate Union had not yet been formally elected. Sophia was serving as the interim president.

Within the week, the Classmate Union would be officially formed, and everyone had the right to sign up for the election.

Sophia was a bit short in stature, and Amelia had to lower her head when looking at her.

“What’s up, Sophia?”

Sophia smiled at them, asking, “Do you have any interest in joining the Classmate Union?”

Catherine remained calm, exuding a cold aura. Her intimidating presence made normal people hesitate to approach her. Sophia didn’t even dare to speak to her and could only turn to Amelia.

Amelia had been the academic representative for three years in high school and was truly tired of it.

“Sorry, we’re not interested,” she replied.

Sophia didn’t want to give up so soon. She tried to persuade the two of them.

“You both know that there are only a few girls in the class. Amelia, ‘I’ve seen your record. You were the academic representative for three years in high school. Why not sign up?”

After saying that, she glanced at Catherine and cautiously continued, ” And Catherine, I think the position of learning activities coordinator would suit you well.”

Catherine didn’t respond or get angry, so Sophia continued to persuade her. ” I’ve seen the video of you participating in the dance competition. Your dance moves were amazing. I’ve also seen the variety show you were on. Audrey, the superstar, is your sister, right?”

Upon receiving this piece of news, Amelia couldn’t help but scream.

“Oh my goodness! Is this true? Catherine, you have a famous star as your sister, and you’re talented yourself!”

In Amelia’s senior year, she focused on preparing for the SAT and getting into her dream university. She barely had time to use her phone and spent every day battling various practice questions.

Catherine didn’t hide anything. Since the moment she appeared on the show, there were some things that couldn’t be avoided.

Seeing Catherine nod, Amelia became so excited that she almost jumped up.

Sophia quickly calmed her down, ”

Amelia, you and Catherine are roommates. You’ll have plenty of time to be excited. Can you spare some time for me, or maybe help me persuade Catherine?”

Sophia then turned to Catherine. ”

Catherine, sign up and participate in the election, please. I believe you would be the best candidate for the position of learning activities coordinator in our class.”

Chapter 560 Decline the Opportunity

Catherine glanced at Sophia and calmly uttered two words.

“Not interested.”

After saying that, she walked past Sophia and left the classroom directly.

Seeing Catherine leave, Amelia blinked at Sophia and said, “Class monitor, you should go find others. We’re not interested. Oh, gotta go. Bye.”

After saying that, Amelia quickened her pace to catch up with Catherine.

“Catherine, it’s still early for dinner. Shall we go back to the dormitory or take a stroll around campus?”

“Go back to the dormitory,” Catherine replied. She had no interest in wandering around the campus of Styre University. Before coming to school, she had studied the map and memorized the locations of all the academic buildings.

Having woken up early for class, Amelia was tired. She nodded in agreement with Catherine’s suggestion.

“Alright, let’s take a shortcut back. We can save some time by walking through the middle corridor.”

After listening to her suggestion, Catherine turned to the side and took a turn onto a small path.

This area was the botanical garden of Styre University located in the northwest corner of the university. Cutting through there could indeed shorten the distance.

Catherine walked quickly, taking large strides. Amelia had to almost jog to keep up with her.

In her haste to catch up with Catherine’s pace, Amelia didn’t pay attention to the ground beneath her feet. As a result, she accidentally stepped on a tree branch on the ground and suddenly bumped forward.

Amelia bumped into Catherine’s back, pushing her forcefully.

The sudden movement caught Catherine off guard. She reflexively stumbled forward, coincidentally colliding with the person in front of her.

The other person seemed to be just like Amelia, not paying attention to the path while walking.

In the next moment, pieces of paper flew up in the air, falling down like snowflakes.

After Amelia steadied herself, she saw the consequences of her actions and silently shrunk her neck. She immediately helped Catherine up and asked, “Catherine, are you okay?”

Catherine shook her head and turned to look at the person she had bumped into.

Ignoring what had happened, the person lowered his head and quickly picked up the scattered documents on the ground.

Catherine and Amelia stepped forward, trying to help. They gathered the documents from the ground and handed them back to the person.

When the person looked up and saw Catherine, he froze for a moment.

After recognizing the person, Amelia was also shocked. Her voice became a bit stammered as she said, “Professor Hartley…”

Catherine remained calm and politely called out, “Professor Hartley!”

Marshall was walking with his documents, deep in thought about the experimental data, when he was suddenly interrupted by these two female students. His mood became particularly sour.

He was a typical old scholar. Research was more important to him than his life. Amelia’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Marshall’s dark expression.

“Why did you walk so recklessly? Be careful next time,” Marshall scolded.

Amelia caused this trouble, so it was her responsibility to apologize. She hurriedly approached Marshall, bowed, and apologized, “I’m sorry, Professor Hartley. It was my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going and bumped into you. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Marshall was focused on organizing his messy documents and didn’t even glance at Amelia. He waved his hand, gesturing for them to leave. He didn’t want to blame the students. He just didn’t have the time to deal with them.

Catherine noticed the dense calculation data in Marshall’s hands and immediately spotted a problem. She reached out and pointed at the documents Marshall was holding, saying in a calm tone, “Professor Hartley, look here. There’s an extra datum.”

Marshall’s hand paused, and his gaze focused on the spot Catherine was pointing at. He furrowed his brow and carefully examined it for a few seconds. He then gestured toward Catherine.

“Wait… wait a second…” he said urgently, as if afraid that Catherine would leave.

After speaking, he took out a pen from his chest pocket and began calculating on the spot.

Catherine wasn’t in a hurry, so she stood still and waited for him.

Amelia stood there, completely confused. She had no idea what was happening. But since the two big shots didn’t move, she didn’t dare to move either.

Half an hour later, Marshall roughly went through the data on three large sheets of paper. He looked up with a face full of joy.

If any students familiar with Marshall saw this scene, they would be extremely surprised. Marshall was always serious and never smiled, but now he looked very happy.

Marshall approached Catherine with the three pieces of paper full of data, looking at her with excitement.

“Your name is Catherine, right? I remember you.”

Catherine nodded.

Marshall’s eyes, hidden behind his black-framed glasses, stared intensely at her. “How did you know that this was an extra datum and that there was an error in the calculation result?”

He had been working in the laboratory for three whole days without any clue. With this data error, nothing else could be done. He was even too distracted to attend classes, tirelessly calculating day and night. If it weren’t for a student suggesting that he go outside and breathe in some fresh air to improve his thinking, he would never have stepped out of the laboratory.

But unexpectedly, he had indeed found a new approach.

If one listened carefully to Marshall, they could sense the excitement in his words.

Catherine glanced at the data that Marshall was calculating. The reason she could come to a conclusion so quickly was that she had conducted the same experiment a year ago and successfully calculated the results. She had encountered the same problem that Marshall faced. Therefore, she could pinpoint the key issue.

Catherine looked calmly at Marshall. ” Professor Hartley, when I was helping you gather these materials earlier, I took a look at your calculations and noticed the problem.”

This response shocked Marshall, and he involuntarily widened his eyes. “Just like that? In such a short time?”

Not only could Catherine understand his calculations, but she could also point out the error that he had been looking for for a long time.

Marshall’s heart was filled with excitement. Alongside the overwhelming shock, it felt as if there was a beam of light in front of him, showing him hope.

“Come with me to the laboratory. Let’s conduct research together and solve this problem.”

Many students chose the electronic information engineering department at Styre University because of Marshall. Some even made it their lifelong goal to enter Marshall’s laboratory and conduct research with him.

Amelia, who was standing beside them, couldn’t contain her excitement, even though it wasn’t about herself. She was almost about to faint.

On the other hand, Catherine remained calm and indifferent, maintaining her usual demeanor. She even declined this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would be considered extraordinary for an ordinary person.

“Let’s talk about it another time. I need to go back to the dormitory now.”