Ch. 711..720

Chapter 711 Break Your Legs

The plane flew for a whole 12 hours and safely landed early the next morning. Although the school authorities had arranged the best business class for this trip, the long hours of sitting had left them with severe backaches and sore waists.

Catherine descended from the plane with an air of elegance, her hands empty and tucked into her pockets.

Marshall teased, “Catherine, I’ve already minimized my luggage to a single box. How come you brought nothing with you? The hotel doesn’t have everything you need, you know.”

Fergus chuckled and interjected, ” Young people are different from us old folks who have to bring everything. They can solve everything with money. Why burden themselves with a heap of luggage?”

Marshall shook his head, unyielding. ” This is Alton, not our home. There are things that money can’t buy, aren’t there?”

Amelia, who had come along with the group, raised her suitcase in front of Marshall. “Professor Hartley, I share a dorm with Catherine, and all her essentials are with me!”

“Good, let’s go. We’re off to the hotel,” Marshall said, nodding in agreement. ” It’s a good thing that Catherine can focus on the competition,” he thought.

Amelia served as Catherine’s assistant in the laboratory. Catherine had specifically arranged for her to join them. When Amelia found out she could go with them, she was so ecstatic. Shortly after, she packed her things and cheerfully set off with Catherine.

Marshall’s research team members didn’t seem to mind, as Amelia had always been with them. Despite her limited knowledge and qualifications not reaching the level of a researcher, Amelia’s cheerful and helpful nature made everyone like her. They all agreed that she was more of an assistant to the whole research team than to Catherine.

However, the agreement of Marshall’s team did not mean that other groups were without objections. Bringing along a freshman like Catherine was barely acceptable, given that she was Marshall’s acknowledged favorite student. But now, Catherine brought her roommate here, which they thought was inappropriate.

Paddy stood to the side, rolling his eyes. He couldn’t stand such nepotism. It was bad enough that she used connections, but she seemed to want everybody to know that she had used a backdoor way to bring her roommate with her.

The professors and the leaders walked ahead while Paddy glanced at Amelia, who was walking alone at the back.

Seizing the opportunity while she was not paying attention, he stuck out his foot and tripped her. Amelia didn’t notice and fell to the ground, her chest hitting the luggage, making it difficult for her to stand up due to the pain.

Just as Catherine heard the noise, she turned back to help Amelia up. “Are you okay?”

Amelia, with teary eyes, endured the intense pain and told Catherine, “I’m fine. I just accidentally tripped.”

Catherine glanced at Paddy, her icy stare making him feel uneasy despite his previous confidence.

“Why are you staring at me? It’s her fault for not watching where she’s going. What’s it got to do with me?” Paddy said, subconsciously taking a step back. He both resented and feared Catherine.

After helping Amelia up, Catherine took a step forward. Seeing that Catherine was about to confront Paddy, Amelia quickly stopped her. “Catherine, it’s my fault. I tripped carelessly. Let’s just forget about it.”

Paddy thought that since Amelia admitted it was her fault, Catherine wouldn’t dare to reprimand him. “See, she admitted it herself. It’s not my fault.”

Catherine glanced at Paddy’s legs and sternly reprimanded him, “If there’s a next time, I’ll break your legs!”

Paddy turned pale with fear but also wanted to argue against Catherine’s arrogance. However, she shut him down with a single phrase. “Open your goddamn eyes and look up!”

Paddy, confused, subconsciously looked up and then felt incredibly embarrassed. He had been secretly happy about the lack of evidence for Catherine’s threats, but he had forgotten they were at the airport, where surveillance cameras were everywhere. There was one right above their heads, facing their direction. If things escalated and Catherine demanded to see the footage, he would definitely be in big trouble.

Thinking of Fergus’s warning, Paddy slinked away. Participating in the Bide Cup was a rare opportunity, and he wouldn’t give up the chance just because he disliked Catherine.

Catherine took Amelia’s luggage and said, “Let’s go to the hotel.”

Amelia, who had intended to take the luggage herself, was refused by Catherine, “Catherine, did I cause you trouble?” Amelia asked.

“No,” Catherine said coldly, not even looking back as she walked away.

Watching Catherine’s departing figure, Amelia couldn’t put into words how highly she regarded Catherine at that moment.

The whole team arrived at the hotel, and after the team leader gathered everyone in the lobby, he made an important announcement. “Dear students, we are here in Alton to participate in the competition, and all expenses during the competition are provided by the Duncan Corporation. Let’s express our gratitude for the sponsorship of the Duncan Corporation. At the same time…”

Some official announcements followed, but thankfully, the leader’s speech was relatively brief. After just five minutes, everyone was allowed to return to their rooms to rest.

Amelia couldn’t help but ask Catherine, “Catherine, was the person in charge of the Duncan Corporation mentioned by the leader just now, Mr. Duncan?”

“Yes.” Catherine nodded slightly.

Amelia’s eyes were filled with envy. She had seen Branden several times and was always amazed by his handsome appearance. She never expected such a handsome and wealthy man to be so devoted to a woman. He truly deserved to be Catherine’s boyfriend.

The fact that Branden not only sponsored the entire team to accompany Catherine in the competition but also provided such a luxurious service made the whole situation feel like something out of an idol drama.

Catherine and Amelia were assigned to the same room. Just as they had entered the room, the doorbell rang.

Catherine, who had been resting on the bed, opened her eyes as soon as she heard the doorbell, while Amelia took the initiative to get up and answer the door. “No worries, Catherine. I’ll handle this.”

A moment later, Amelia returned to the room, pushing a cart filled with food, her face beaming with happiness. ” Catherine, the hotel’s service is amazing. They knew the airplane food wasn’t great, so they specially brought us lunch! You should come and eat some!”

During the flight, Catherine had rested the entire time, not eating a single bite. Although Amelia had noticed, she dared not disturb Catherine’s rest.

Catherine got off the bed, and the scent of food in the air was pleasant, so she was willing to give it a try.

Amelia lifted the cover on the food and discovered it was all Eskanese cuisine. She immediately realized something. Raised an eyebrow at Catherine, she smiled with a hint of playfulness. “It turns out it’s not the hotel’s excellent service but Mr. Duncan’s arrangement.”

Catherine glanced over and smirked slightly. It was all her favorite dishes, likely Branden’s doing.

Chapter 712 Focus on the Competition

Catherine had just finished her meal when she received a call from Marshall, asking them to gather in the hotel’s second-floor meeting room in ten minutes to discuss the details of the upcoming competition.

“Shall we go?” Catherine looked up at Amelia.

After taking the last bite of the pizza, Amelia mumbled, “Sure, coming right up!” She was too full from eating but could not waste the delicious food. Having such perks while sharing a dorm with Catherine was fantastic.

After getting ready, Catherine and Amelia headed towards the meeting room. The third floor of the hotel was a conference hall with various meeting rooms.

This hotel was the closest to the competition venue. Since the competition hadn’t started yet, the early-arriving teams had to rest in nearby hotels. Several teams from seven or eight countries were staying in this hotel.

Catherine and Amelia made their way through the crowd towards their meeting room. Catherine’s beautiful face immediately drew the attention of many.

Unlike the reserved nature of Eskana, people from Ocraolia were more direct in expressing their emotions. Seeing the beautiful girls pass by, a few men couldn’t help but whistle and tease in a foreign language.

Catherine remained indifferent, not even bothering to look at them. The members of Marshall’s experimental team felt extremely embarrassed seeing Catherine being teased.

Paddy scorned. “She’s always acting wanton anywhere to attract attention. This kind of behavior is really embarrassing.”

“Paddy McLaughlin, you stupid asshole!” said Eamon, glaring at Paddy disapprovingly. “What the hell did you say?”

When Catherine’s seniors overheard Paddy’s comment, they immediately confronted Paddy.

Paddy backed down and stopped talking, but he felt very aggrieved. In his view, these people were bullying him because there were more of them.

After Catherine and Amelia approached, their seniors surrounded them, using their bodies to shield the two from the intense gazes of those men.

There were few female students in the laboratory. Before Catherine arrived, there had been only one female student. Now that two good-looking juniors had come, their seniors were determined to protect them.

Marshall had said that success or failure in the experiment was common, but it was a sign of incompetence if they couldn’t protect their teammates.

Amelia felt a little nervous when she first went abroad and saw so many foreigners. Facing different races always made her feel a little uneasy. But being protected by her seniors made her feel a little moved, and she couldn’t help but chat with Catherine. ” Catherine, I feel so safe with them. I was so nervous, but now I feel relaxed!” she said.

Before Catherine could respond, a commotion nearby drew everyone’s attention. Someone gave an exclamation of surprise, and all eyes followed that direction.

A group of people in uniform appeared, exuding a powerful aura. With their heads held high, they looked like top- notch elites.

“Who are they? They don’t look like ordinary people,” Amelia said, curious.

Catherine remained calm, not even bothering to take a look, as she didn’t care.

Upon hearing Amelia’s question, Eamon calmly responded, “It’s the Johnville Optical Team from Theisia.”

Amelia looked even more shocked.” The team that has won numerous international awards and three consecutive Nobel Prizes?”

“Exactly,” Eamon said.

This team was well-known internationally, and even Amelia, a freshman, was aware of their strength, not to mention other long-term competition participants.

This team was a strong contender for the championship in this competition, with their popularity second only to Alton’s team.

As the host country’s team, Alton’s team had a dedicated training laboratory and didn’t need to stay in a hotel.

“That’s why we need to work harder!” Marshall’s voice suddenly sounded, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Professor Hartley!” they all said in unison with great admiration in their eyes.

Marshall’s research project was the most advanced at Styre University, leading globally. Even Alton’s research speed couldn’t match Marshall’s.

Marshall nodded at everyone and gave them a pep talk. “We all know how strong our opponents are, and the only thing we can do is work harder to surpass ourselves. We will defeat all of them. Do you all understand?”

Marshall’s serious tone made everyone straighten up. They unanimously responded, “Yes, Professor Hartley!”

“Hah…”

Mocking laughter sounded. Everyone turned their head, only to see that the source of the mockery was the team from Decrine.

Decrine had always been a rival of Eskana. For many years, they had been deadlocked in their competition. However, Decrine always saw themselves as a longstanding power from Euphosean and looked down on Eskana. In recent years, Eskana had surpassed Decrine in some areas of research, which made Decrine even more unwilling to accept it.

The one who had just burst into grating, mocking laughter was the infamous researcher Jason Perez from the Decrinean Team. He was pretty well -known in the research field, with several of his papers published in prestigious international journals. However, he was extremely arrogant and held strong racial prejudices, particularly against Eskanese people.

Seeing the team from Styre University turn to look at him, Jason began to taunt them instead of feeling afraid. ” Hey, you bunch of idiots, how dare you participate in the competition? It’s ridiculous. I advise you to go back. Don’t waste your time!” He then shifted his gaze to Catherine and Amelia. “Humph, I heard you even brought two freshmen this time. What? You already knew you would lose, so you brought two pretty girls for a vacation?”

This speech sparked public outrage. It was usual for these teams to know about each other before the competition. However, no one on Marshall’s team expected Jason to use it to mock and ridicule them.

Eamon and the others looked extremely displeased at Jason’s words, their anger rising. They were about to rush forward when Marshall and a few other mentors quickly intervened to stop them. “Calm down! Focus on the competition!”

Chapter 713 Double Standards

The Bide Cup was famous for its strict rules during the competition.

During the Bide Cup, participants were not allowed to get involved in negative news, and in serious cases, their qualifications would be directly revoked.

If the conflict were to escalate today, it would likely result in the committee kicking them out of the competition. The professors understood the seriousness of the situation and did their best to restrain the impulsive young researchers.

Eamon grabbed Marshall’s sleeve, his voice filled with anger as he said, ” Professor Hartley, they are deliberately humiliating us.”

Marshall, with a stern face, looked extremely displeased. “Do you think I’m deaf?”

After being scolded by Marshall, Eamon fell silent.

Then, Marshall said earnestly, “I know you’re feeling angry, but if you really resort to violence, you’ll be falling into their trap! These foreigners look like a bunch of fools, but in fact, they are quite cunning. They are deliberately provoking you!”

Eamon found Marshall’s words quite reasonable, gradually calming down. He was unwilling to fall for the other party’s tricks. ” Professor Hartley is right. We should calm down!”

Although things had calmed down on Styre University’s side, the team from Johnville had no intention of stopping there. Their noise and insults from their side only grew louder and more offensive.

Eamon, the researchers, and even Marshall and the other mentors were struggling to contain their urge to explode with rage.

Several mentors kept a close watch on these impulsive students, but they missed Catherine.

Catherine sat there playing on her phone as the surrounding noise grew louder. The voice of the researcher named Edson was particularly grating, giving her a headache.

Suddenly, Catherine stood up.

Amelia was startled, thinking Catherine was about to confront someone. However, Catherine turned and entered the nearby restroom, causing Amelia to breathe a sigh of relief.

Unexpectedly, Catherine emerged from the restroom the next moment, holding a toilet plunger in her hand.

No one present knew what Catherine was up to, but they saw her walk directly toward Edson with the plunger in hand.

Seeing a beautiful woman approaching, Edson was about to strike up a conversation, as he was quite fond of Catherine’s appearance. But before he could say anything, a dark shadow suddenly descended upon his face, accompanied by a foul stench, as a massive toilet plunger was firmly jammed into his mouth.

To ensure it was secure, Catherine pressed down the plunger several times, making it adhere tightly to Edson’s face. “Your mouth stinks so much, and it needs to be sealed!”

With a strong push, Catherine knocked Edson to the ground.

The people around were dumbfounded. Catherine’s actions were so fast and domineering that they couldn’t even process what was happening.

Although people from Styre University were shocked by Catherine’s actions, they felt a deep sense of satisfaction. After all, what she said was true- Edson’s mouth really stank and deserved to be shut up like that.

Edson was still trying to remove the plunger from his mouth, but it was stuck to his face as if it were embedded in his head. No matter how he struggled, it was useless.

Finally, Edson’s teammates came to their senses and rushed forward, demanding an explanation from Styre University. The situation escalated, and the commotion spread throughout the entire hotel.

Catherine, however, sat quietly as if nothing had happened. After dealing with Edson, she continued playing games, completely ignoring the commotion around her.

As the argument between the two sides escalated, Paddy seemed extremely angry about Catherine’s reaction and couldn’t help but start complaining again, “Why doesn’t she clean up the mess she’s caused? The incident started because of her, and not only does she not feel the slightest bit of guilt, but she also makes it worse. I really don’t understand what she’s thinking about!”

Fergus noticed Marshall’s displeased expression and quickly rebuked Paddy, “What nonsense are you spouting? Is this the time for our own people to start a fight?”

Faced with Fergus’s reprimand, Paddy was very dissatisfied. “Professor Lynch, this is a big deal. What if it ends up affecting our entire team, and we have to withdraw from the competition?”

Paddy’s concerns made the people around him look very grim, as this was also their biggest worry at the moment. Many of them joined Paddy in complaining, exclaiming that Catherine’s actions were too impulsive.

Although Marshall and the others were angry, they currently had no way to deal with the situation. The commotion was too serious, even alerting the organizing committee of the Bide Cup.

The Theisian people demanded that the organizing committee give them an explanation. Several members of the judging committee were from Theisia, so they would naturally speak from their perspective.

After learning that Catherine was the one causing trouble, several staff members of the organizing committee approached her. “Please come with us.”

When Marshall saw Catherine being taken away, he hurried forward, but Catherine stopped him. “Professor Hartley, I’ll be back in a moment!”

Catherine had a calm expression on her face. Although Marshall felt worried, he chose to respect her decision.

Catherine hadn’t left yet, but Paddy and his group began shouting from behind, “Apologize properly! Don’t ruin our chances to compete!”

Hearing this, Catherine stopped in her tracks, turned around, and fixed her gaze on Paddy. Despite her low, icy voice, every person present could hear her clearly. “Only the weak need to apologize.”

Catherine’s words landed heavily in everyone’s hearts like a hammer. As she had said, their fear of being disqualified by the organizing committee stemmed from their lack of strength and inability to stand firm. If they had the strength of the world’s best at that moment, why would they need to worry about being kicked out? Perhaps the organizing committee would be begging them to participate.

As Catherine walked away, Paddy looked at her departing figure and muttered, “That woman is just being stubborn.”

Catherine followed the organizing committee members into the office, and then the leader of the Theisian Team also went in. Watching so many people, Marshall couldn’t help but feel anxious for Catherine. He wanted to follow her in but was stopped by the university’s leaders.

“Marshall, it’s useless. We can’t go in right now!”

The university had tried to get someone to go in with Catherine, but the committee members refused. They didn’t allow the representative from Styre University to enter, yet the people from the Theisian side came and went freely.

Such double standards made Marshall and the others very angry, but they were helpless. Traveling all the way from Eskana to Alton, they didn’t want to lose their chance to compete because of this situation. They anxiously gazed at the office, wishing they had X-ray vision to see what was happening inside.

Chapter 714 Connections

Inside the office were the judges of the organizing committee and the chairman of the committee, Richard Goodman. Everyone held their breath as they watched Richard, known for his sternness, slowly emerge. It was well known that he didn’t like any trouble, especially during competitions.

Styre University had violated Richard’s taboos this time, and people didn’t know what kind of punishment Styre University would face. Some secretly gloated at the thought of Styre University being expelled from the competition, while others felt sorry for them. Missing out on such a major competition would be a huge loss for Styre University.

“Who’s causing trouble?” Richard asked in a cold voice. His deep voice echoed throughout the meeting room, making everyone tense and hold their breath.

Members of the Johnville Team couldn’t wait to speak up as soon as Richard appeared. Although Richard was from Alton, he had Theisian heritage, and they were confident he would support the Theisian team.

“Mr. Goodman, the troublemaker is this student from Styre University. I heard she’s just a freshman at Styre University. Such a person shouldn’t be appearing in our competition. Styre University is intentionally humiliating us. They have no intention of participating; they just want to cause trouble. Please believe me, Mr. Goodman,” someone said.

Hearing the other party’s account, Richard frowned. He looked in the direction indicated by the man who spoke just now, and after seeing the petite figure sitting to the side, his eyes widened. “Am I having a hallucination or something?” he wondered. ” Otherwise, how could I see her here?”

He asked, “Are you… Catherine?”

At that moment, Marshall and the others were anxiously waiting at the door. Half an hour had passed, yet there was still no news. Unable to bear it any longer, he forcefully pushed aside a few friends who were trying to stop him, ready to rush in.

“Marshall, wait a little longer!”

Marshall suddenly shook off their hands and rushed towards the meeting room. “Wait for what? Who knows what those foreigners inside might do to Catherine? I have to protect her!”

Just as Marshall reached for the door handle, the previously tightly closed door was opened from the inside. Richard, accompanied by several committee members, emerged from the room, with Catherine standing beside him.

Marshall immediately rushed to Catherine’s side, asking, “Catherine, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Catherine responded calmly.

Having confirmed that Catherine was indeed unharmed, Marshall breathed a sigh of relief. “Glad to hear it.”

“Catherine, who is this gentleman?” Richard’s words drew the attention of many.

Catherine calmly introduced Marshall to them. “My mentor, Professor Marshall Hartley!”

Having heard of Marshall before, Richard smiled and greeted him with a somewhat awkward accent, “Oh, Professor Hartley, nice to meet you!”

Having participated in the previous Bide Cup competition, Marshall knew that Richard was the chairman of the competition, so he warmly responded, ” Mr. Goodman, nice to meet you too!”

After the greetings, Marshall intended to explain the situation to Richard regarding Catherine. In Marshall’s view, the situation was not Catherine’s fault, and she should not be blamed for it.

“Professor Hartley, I already know the ins and outs of the situation. I will request the Johnville Team to provide a reasonable explanation and publicly apologize to you. Otherwise, I will demand their withdrawal from the competition.” Richard’s response left Marshall somewhat bewildered. Marshall hadn’t even explained yet, and the situation had already turned around. Originally, Styre University was supposed to be expelled from the competition, but now it seemed the other team would be expelled if they didn’t apologize.

Richard’s assistant arrived and whispered a few words in Richard’s ear. After that, Richard looked apologetically at Catherine, saying, Catherine, I have some urgent matters to attend to. We’ll talk later!”

“Okay,” Catherine replied, and Richard hurriedly left with his assistant.

Once the others had left, Marshall finally came to his senses. He looked at Catherine, asking, “Do you know Mr. Goodman?”

Upon hearing this, Amelia couldn’t help but interject, “They must know each other. How else could they be on such familiar terms? Catherine, you’re amazing. Can’t believe that you have connections on an international level!”

Catherine and Richard were old friends, but she hadn’t expected to run into him here. It seemed that she would be meeting quite a few old acquaintances in the near future.

Catherine didn’t like to explain things, but Marshall looked eager to know more, so she added, “We know each other. I told him the whole story. As the chairman of the organizing committee, he has the most basic judgment.”

If Richard were trying to cover up for the Johnville Team, then his chairmanship would have come to an end. As the chairman of the competition, the ultimate arbiter, fairness, and justice were the most basic requirements.

Upon hearing Catherine’s explanation, Marshall nodded in satisfaction. “It seems that the Bide Cup is not as bad as rumored. At least the officials are fairly impartial,” he said.

Marshall did not like to participate in events held in Bothor because they looked down on Eskanese, and there were many incidents of discrimination and unfairness. However, a lot of top- level events were held in Bothor. To compete with talents from all over the world, his team must participate in these competitions and be forced to accept their rules.

Catherine looked ahead with narrowed eyes, a calm gaze revealing a coldness. ” As long as our country is strong enough, the world will change for us,” she said.

Catherine’s words left Marshall stunned. Suppressing the rising excitement in his heart, he said firmly, “You’re right. As long as our motherland becomes powerful, the world will change for us.”

Not only Marshall but the others were also touched by Catherine’s words. They traveled to other countries to participate in all kinds of competitions, facing competitors from all over the world, upholding not only their own honor but also the honor of their motherland.

When the several leaders sensed the high morale of the crowd, they began to admire Catherine. Originally thought to be a troublemaker, Catherine turned out to be a lucky star.

“Alright, now that the matter is resolved, let’s all go to the meeting room for a meeting!” Marshall said.

Paddy stood at the end of the crowd. He looked at Catherine, the focus of the crowd’s attention, feeling very unhappy. He didn’t believe that such a girl could be so powerful. “Who knows what means she used,” he said inwardly. “She must have seduced the chairman of the organizing committee to achieve the current peace!” He especially despised women who betrayed themselves. He must find an opportunity to let everyone know what kind of person Catherine really was.

Chapter 715 Very Well Said

The hotel’s third floor housed the conference hall, while the second floor was an open coffee bar.

When Catherine arrived, Richard was already seated in a corner, gazing at the beautiful scenery through the floor-to- ceiling windows. Catherine walked directly to the opposite side of Richard, ready to out a chair to sit down. Upon hearing the sound, Richard stood up and pulled a chair for her. “Long time no see, Catherine. Your taste hasn’t changed, has it?”

“No.”

Hearing this, Richard called over a server and ordered an Americano with no milk or sugar. It was a flavor he remembered Catherine liked. Despite her sweet looks, she enjoyed such a bitter taste, Due to its uniqueness, Richard remembered her taste all at once and had done so for many years.

“Catherine, the conference room was crowded just now, and I didn’t have the chance to talk to you. Luckily, you haven’t forgotten our code, or else I would have had to come find you personally.”

When the two of them left the conference room earlier, Richard used a particular language to hint at Catherine, asking her to meet at the coffee bar on the second floor. They had once worked in the same laboratory on the same project. A few members used a special tapping method to create a language in their leisure time. This language was similar to Morse code and could translate some short texts. In the world, only a few people from their laboratory knew this language.

Compared to Catherine’s composure, Richard seemed much more excited. ” Catherine, are you leading the Styre University to participate in the competition this time?”

Richard knew Catherine was from Eskana and thought she had devoted herself to the relatively weak Styre Team for the sake of her homeland.

In response to Richard’s inquiry, Catherine shook her head. “No.”

“No?” Richard was somewhat puzzled. “Weren’t you just standing up for the Styre Team earlier?”

The server brought the coffee that Richard had ordered for Catherine. She took a sip, furrowed her brow, and then set the cup down. Due to her low blood sugar, Branden often added a suitable amount of sugar to her drinks. As a result, she had become less accustomed to such bitter coffee. “I am a participant, not the team leader. ”

“Participant?” Richard looked at Catherine in disbelief. He scrutinized her repeatedly, trying to confirm that she was not joking. It was pretty surprising that Catherine was a participant. After all, when they worked together, she had been one of the youngest and most outstanding researchers in their group. With her background and talent, she could have easily led a project in one of the most renowned laboratories in Alton, so how could she possibly be a participant in a team that couldn’t even make it to the top three in the competition?

“Catherine, even though your expression tells me this is true, I still find it hard to believe.” Richard looked at her with a wry smile, stating a fact. ” After all, the Styre Team is not the strongest in this competition, and we both know that!”

“Just because it wasn’t the strongest before doesn’t mean it won’t be this time!” Catherine said in a nonchalant tone, yet it sounded quite assertive.

If anyone else had said those words, Richard would have sneered and perhaps even ridiculed them harshly. But when he heard Catherine say so, he understood that this time, it wouldn’t be as predictable as in previous years for Alton to win the Bide Cup. Catherine was the biggest variable, and her presence was destined to change the result of the competition.

The next day, an apology letter from the Johnville Team was posted on the official Bide Cup forum. Many participating teams had heard about the conflict between the Johnville and Styre teams. No one had expected that the once arrogant Johnville Team would be the one to issue an apology.

Johnville Team’s arrogance was even greater than its reputation, and many teams had suffered at their hands without any means of seeking justice. It was the first time they had seen this team apologize so sincerely.

Amelia immediately forwarded the apology letter to the group chat, saying, [Catherine, you are so amazing! ]

Ronin and the others had heard the news the day before. They had initially planned to teach Edson a lesson. However, after hearing about Catherine’s retaliation, they couldn’t help but laugh at the punishment he received.

Ronin commented, [How dare that guy disrespect Catherine? He deserved it! He’s lucky he didn’t get dung thrown at him. It’s a light punishment.]

Zobber had obtained first-hand information, adding, [I heard that because his mouth was so big, the plunger couldn’t be removed. He was sent to the hospital to get it out finally, and his whole jaw was dislocated!]

Upon hearing Zobber’s intelligence, everyone in the group chat burst into laughter.

Having finished reading their messages, Withal couldn’t help but mention Catherine. [Catherine, next time, try a different way to punish him. It’ll save the doctors from unnecessary trouble!]

The incessant buzzing of her phone slowly roused Catherine from her slumber. She opened her eyes and stretched forward. She had been resting in the dorm room with Amelia the night before. Around ten o’clock, Branden suddenly knocked on the door and carried her upstairs.

Seeing Branden focused on his phone, Catherine muttered, “What are you looking at?”

Branden turned around, wrapped an arm around Catherine’s waist, and pulled her close while showing her the phone. “Take a look for yourself!”

Bemused, Catherine lowered her head to look at the phone. She scrolled through the messages and stopped at the one where Withal had mentioned her. She replied to him, [Got it. Will keep that in mind.]

After Catherine sent it, the previously lively group chat suddenly fell silent. A bit puzzled, she carefully reviewed her message and found nothing amiss. The signal on the phone was strong. She tried to inject some humor, yet it seemed to have startled everyone. What’s going on?” she wondered.

Just as Catherine pondered this, a soft voice came from above her. “You are using my phone!”

Catherine was momentarily stunned. After scrutinizing the profile picture for a while, she realized she had made a mistake. Her phone was the same make and model as Branden’s. Even the profile picture he used was quite similar to hers, which showed a ray of sunlight piercing through the darkness.

She had just woken up and was a bit groggy, so it was normal for her to use the wrong phone to reply to messages.

Still receiving no response, Catherine casually tossed the phone aside and calmly said, “We’re all adults. What’s with the fuss?”

Branden was amused by her haughty demeanor. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “Very well said!”

Chapter 716 The Draw Result

After staying at the hotel for three days, the Bide Cup officially began. Styre University sent out two teams, led by Marshall for the EIE Team and Fergus for the Biology Team. Having two teams at once already made Styre University a strong contender among the nations.

The competition started, and the opponents for the first round were decided through a draw. Fergus’s team was the first to go up for the draw, and they ended up drawing the Isaranian Team.

The Isaranian Team wasn’t considered very strong, so winning against it in the first round wasn’t too difficult. The university leaders immediately sought Fergus’s opinion, asking about his team’s chance of winning. He gave a modest smile and gestured a number- sixty percent.

It was well known that Fergus was always cautious and liked to keep a card up his sleeve. When he said sixty percent, it probably meant at least eighty percent. Upon hearing this result, the university leaders felt reassured. If there was an eighty percent chance of winning, then there shouldn’t be a problem. Furthermore, this was the first round, the one with the lowest difficulty level.

The university leaders were quite happy about the result of the draw. They said to Marshall, “Marshall, it’s your turn now. Hopefully, you’ll be as lucky as Fergus.”

Marshall smiled and remained silent, looking very calm. However, his calm demeanor vanished instantly when he saw the result. No one knew what had happened to make Marshall, who was standing on the platform, suddenly freeze in place.

Although Marshall’s expression didn’t change much, his colleagues who had worked with him for over a decade knew him well. They knew that Marshall’s expression meant there was a problem. When the draw result was finally shown on the projection screen, everyone finally understood why Marshall was so shocked.

No one had expected that Marshall’s team would compete with the Johnville Team from Theisia, which had recently had a dispute with Styre University. The previous controversy had not yet subsided, and now they were confronting each other again. It seemed that enemies were destined to meet.

The Johnville Team’s strength was remarkable, and in the previous Bide Cup, its ranking was only surpassed by the Altonian Team.

Compared to the young and inexperienced Styre Team, the Johnville Team seemed like a ferocious wolf, ready to pounce and annihilate its opponents.

When the draw result was announced, cheers erupted from the Johnville Team’s side. They had long been displeased with Styre Team and if it weren’t for Richard’s restraint, they would never have stooped to apologizing to a trashy team like Styre University. Now, with the draw result granting them an opportunity, they were determined to take revenge and vent their frustration.

Marshall descended from the platform with a grim look, and several university leaders surrounded him as soon as he sat down. “How could it be? Didn’t the committee make pre-match adjustments for the sake of continuity of the match? The teams should have been divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers. So logically, a middle-tier team like us shouldn’t have drawn a top – tier team like Johnville,” one of the leaders exclaimed.

Marshall solemnly declared, “No need to guess. It must be Johnville Team’s doing!”

Due to the previous dispute, the Johnville Team was forced to apologize on the official forum, causing them to lose face. What was initially thought to be a private quarrel among students had unexpectedly escalated into a battle between two teams. The Johnville Team had even covertly altered the format of the competition.

While the division of teams into upper, middle, and lower tiers was an unspoken rule, it had been followed for several years without anyone breaking it. The tactics employed by the Johnville Team from Theisia were truly despicable.

The members of Styre University were all outraged, but the result had already been announced, and no one could change it.

Marshall could only suppress his anger and console everyone, “Don’t lose heart. We’re here to compete. We can’t just give up before the competition even begins, can we? The Theisian Team is strong, and even if we don’t face them in the first round, we’ll encounter them eventually. Are we going to surrender every time we face a tough opponent?”

Marshall’s words of encouragement instantly stirred up a sense of determination and boosted morale among the group.

Paddy sat on the sidelines, watching Marshall’s team with a cold, mocking gaze. He had warned them against offending the Johnville Team from Theisia, but Catherine had a penchant for causing trouble. Now, their team was destined to be eliminated in the first round, and he relished the thought of how embarrassing it would be for Marshall’s team to return home.

Catherine sat to the side, wearing headphones and playing games. She didn’t want to come in the first place, as the draw wasn’t part of the competition itself, and she felt it was a waste of her time. However, Marshall had insisted, so she had reluctantly complied.

Eamon gently pushed Catherine, and she removed her headphones, looking up at him. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Are you not nervous at all, Catherine? “Eamon inquired.

“Nervous about what?” Catherine looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Seeing her demeanor, Eamon was slightly surprised. “Catherine, you didn’t happen to notice the result of the draw, did you?”

Observing her expression, Eamon immediately informed her that their opponent would be the Theisian Team. “Catherine, what do you think we should do next?” he asked.

Catherine casually pocketed her phone, calmly glanced at Eamon, and nonchalantly replied, “What’s there to fear? Just do it!”

“How confident she is!” Eamon silently praised her in his mind. He finally understood why Marshall favored her so much. He knew he was unable to emulate her composure.

Even though he knew there was a ninety percent chance of losing, they shouldn’t lose their fighting spirit. ” Catherine is right,” he thought. ” Nervousness is pointless; we just have to do it!”

Influenced by Catherine, Eamon’s morale soared, and he couldn’t wait to compete against the Johnville Team right then and there.

After the draw, everyone left the venue.

Catherine strolled out of the venue with the group, heading back to the hotel. They had already moved to the designated hotel arranged for the competition. They didn’t know what connections Branden had used, but he and the others had also been accommodated in the same hotel.

After getting off the bus, Catherine received a message from Zobber.

Paddy saw Catherine walking towards him from a distance. He took a few steps forward, preparing to mock her and make her aware of the consequences of offending the Johnville Team, but she walked past him as if she hadn’t seen him at all.

Paddy’s hand froze in mid-air, unable to move an inch.

When she moved further away, Paddy finally came to his senses. He stamped his foot in anger. In his opinion, Catherine’s behavior was simply outrageous, acting as if she were superior to everyone else. He secretly vowed to make her aware of the consequences of offending others. He would remember this grudge and seek revenge when the opportunity arose.

Chapter 717 What a Clown!

Catherine found Zobber at a corner of the top floor. Zobber always liked to stay in secluded places like this, so it was easy for Catherine to find her in less crowded areas.

When Zobber heard a noise and turned around to see Catherine approaching, her eyes instantly lit up. Her originally cold face was now adorned with a radiant smile.

“Catherine, you’re here!” Zobber exclaimed. Only in Catherine’s presence could Zobber show her more youthful side.

Catherine walked over to Zobber and sat down beside her. The hotel had over fifty floors, and they were on the top floor. In front of them was a vast floor- to-ceiling window offering a breathtaking view of the scenery below.

“Catherine, the view is really nice from up here,” Zobber remarked.

Catherine silently watched the scenery without responding. Zobber took a cigarette out of her pocket, about to put it in her mouth. Remembering Catherine’s habits, however, she flicked the cigarette into the trash can.

“Catherine, the bet has started! The first round is quite exciting. I didn’t expect this dull research project to attract so much attention,” Zobber said.

Catherine smirked, showing no surprise at all. Where there was a competition, there was winning and losing, and where there was winning and losing, there was gambling.

“What are the odds?” Catherine inquired.

Upon hearing Catherine’s question, Zobber gave a mysterious smile. ”

Catherine, the team you’re on has the highest odds in the first round, which is 1 to 16.”

“Humph.” Catherine chuckled coldly. ” Everyone’s betting on me to lose, huh?”

“Those people are ignorant. They don’t know your strength. Don’t be angry!” Zobber replied.

Catherine wasn’t angry at all-not even a bit. A hint of cunning flashed in her eyes. The mischievous glint in Catherine’s eyes made Zobber feel a flutter in her heart. Whenever she saw Catherine with that smile, she knew someone was in for trouble.

Catherine motioned to Zobber with a crooked finger and flashed a charming smile.

“Catherine, whatever you command, I’ll do it. Just don’t smile at me like that!”

Zobber leaned in, and Catherine whispered something in her ear. Zobber’s eyes lit up instantly, and she became excited.

“Catherine, can I get in on this?” Zobber asked.

Catherine patted her on the shoulder. ” Go ahead.”

“Thanks, Catherine. I’ll get right on it! “Zobber said eagerly.

Thinking about the opportunity to make a fortune, Zobber paid no attention to the beautiful scenery before her and immediately got up to finish her task.

The next day, there were suddenly a lot of rumors about the Styre Team. Paddy was ecstatic, gossiping like crazy, using his imagination to fabricate stories. ”

Have you all heard? Our Styre University’s reputation is going to be completely ruined this time!”

When people heard Paddy’s words, they curiously gathered around him. ” Paddy, what gossip have you heard this time?” someone asked.

Paddy frowned at the person speaking. “This is not just some gossip. It’s the truth! They say that there is a freshman from Styre University who is just there for show, making our defeat certain. The odds were 1 to 16 last night, and today they’ve risen to 1 to 20. Can you believe it? It tarnished the reputation of Styre University!” Paddy’s serious tone left the surrounding students stunned, and it was only after he finished speaking that they began to discuss the matter.

Styre University’s EIE Team was already in a precarious situation. Many assumed that Styre University was bound to lose to the Johnville Team from Theisia. It made sense that they would not back down without a fight, but before the match even began, they were already criticized like this, which was truly embarrassing.

Hearing the murmurs around him, Paddy believed he could incite the crowd, aiming to teach Catherine a lesson. “Everyone, the match won’t start until tomorrow. Each team has a substitute member, and I think we should unite and advise the school to replace Catherine! At the very least, if we lose, we should lose with dignity without being laughed at. Do you all agree?”

“Yes!”

Surprisingly, some people supported Paddy, thinking that he had a point.

Hearing this, Paddy became more determined. He felt he could use this opportunity to bring Catherine down.

He thought that without the chance to compete, Catherine would have nothing to show off. In that case, if the Biology Team achieved a good ranking, Marshall’s team would never be able to be arrogant again.

The more Paddy thought about it, the more excited he became. He was sure that this was a great opportunity.

Eamon watched as Paddy incited the crowd, feeling anxious and worried that something might happen. Taking advantage of their distraction, he stepped back to the side and then found Catherine, who was still playing games. “Catherine, why are you still playing games here?” Eamon urgently asked.

Facing Eamon’s urgency, Catherine set down her phone and looked up at him. ” What’s the matter?”

Eamon immediately told her about Paddy’s words. Catherine coldly commented. “What a clown!”

Eamon wholeheartedly agreed with Catherine, as Paddy was nothing but a clown. “Catherine, even though that guy is a clown, we can’t just watch him slander you and do nothing. What if he really incites a group of people to go to the school authorities to complain? I’m afraid you’ll be in big trouble!”

Catherine calmly thanked Eamon.”

Thanks for the reminder, Eamon. Don’t worry.”

Hearing this, Eamon felt more worried for her, but there was nothing he could do, so he had to let her be. “Catherine, just be more careful, okay?” Unable to persuade Catherine, he had to leave. He planned to go to Marshall and explain the situation to him.

Feeling bored, Catherine got up, ready to return to the hotel. Just as she walked out of the elevator, she saw Branden approaching.

Catherine ran her tongue along her upper gum, a faint smile appearing on her face. “Are you waiting for me?”

“Yes!” Branden admitted generously, taking a few steps forward and holding her hand.

Catherine, who had just stepped out of the elevator, followed Branden into the elevator and arrived at the top-floor presidential suite.

To access the top floor, a special room card was required because the elevator was connected to the room.

The entire top floor was a super luxurious flat, exclusively for some special customers to use.

As soon as Catherine entered, she saw the familiar armchair in the living room. She really liked it. There was one in the house in Casier and the apartment in Loxton. And now, here it was.

“How did this armchair get moved here?”

“It just arrived this morning,” Branden replied, not directly answering Catherine’s question. He didn’t tell her that he had specially ordered ten of the same armchairs from Itasca, Italy. It took some time to ship them here. Otherwise, they should have arrived yesterday.

In her leisure time, Catherine liked to lie on the armchair and play games. Branden remembered every single detail of her habits.

Catherine comfortably leaned back on the armchair, and Branden snuggled up to her.

“You’ve been getting a lot of attention lately. Do you want to lay low for a bit?” He asked, worried that it would affect Catherine’s competition.

“No need,” Catherine said, looking somewhat smug. “If you have free time, you can just help me gain more attention!”

Hearing this, Branden immediately understood what Catherine meant. Her expression clearly indicated that she was up to something again. It was fine for her to do whatever she wanted as long as she was happy. He would support her no matter what.

Chapter 718 Always in Second Place

The next day, the competition officially began. Due to the spread of various rumors, many people were pessimistic about Marshall’s team, believing that they were bound to lose.

Before the competition started, the odds for betting on the outcome had already soared to 1 to 30, with almost no one believing that Marshall’s team would win. In order to earn more money, some unscrupulous haters spread rumors about Catherine, even going as far as to say that she only became a researcher in the laboratory through personal connections.

Marshall led his team to the entrance of the sealed laboratory. He personally ushered each of his students into the laboratory. When he saw Catherine, who was walking at the back, he gently patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. Just believe that you are the best,” he said earnestly.

Faced with Marshall’s sincere advice, Catherine remained indifferent. Used to her temperament, Marshall didn’t mind. “Remember, you don’t need to worry too much. Just follow your heart, ” he said.

“Okay,” Catherine responded.

Her rare response brought a noticeable smile to Marshall’s face. For him, his team’s rankings were unimportant as long as his students did their best.

The competition’s task was a specific experimental project, requiring the students to design a set of chips within three hours. The chips’ functionality had to comply fully with the competition’s regulations.

The task was only revealed after the two teams entered the sealed laboratory. Many people were dumbfounded when they saw it.

Several professors from Styre University were also shocked. “Why is the task so difficult?” they exclaimed.

Marshall furrowed his brow and unconsciously pushed the frame of his glasses. “They’re giving us such a

difficult task in the first round?”

The Johnville Team appeared quite confident upon seeing the announced task. Outsiders thought it was because they believed in their team’s strength, but the truth was that the difficulty was due to the Johnville Team’s mentor pulling strings behind the scenes. The Johnville Team looked down on Styre University but wouldn’t use any underhanded means to win. The strictness of the Bide Cup wouldn’t give them that opportunity. Their goal was simple-to make Styre Team’s defeat as embarrassing as possible.

To prevent cheating, the laboratories were surrounded by tempered glass, allowing everyone to see the experimenters inside clearly.

The Johnville Team, as expected from a top-three-ranked team, had an incredibly strong ability to work together. Although the experimental project for this competition was quite challenging, they had already started operating at a rapid pace, looking very confident.

On the other hand, the researchers of the Styre Team were still discussing the competition project. The accompanying mentors standing outside the laboratory were extremely anxious.

“Marshall, what’s going on with your students? Why haven’t they started yet? ” one of the mentors asked urgently.

Marshall had a serious expression on his face, and he seemed a bit nervous. This task wouldn’t have been too difficult if he had guided them. However, the mentors couldn’t interfere, and their students had to rely on themselves. Moreover, it seemed like this task was specifically targeted at the Styre Team, hitting their weak points.

Facing the inquiries, Marshall remained silent, staring straight ahead.

Paddy and his team were watching as well. Seeing that the Styre Team hadn’t started yet, he couldn’t help but make sarcastic remarks again.

Fergus didn’t stop Paddy, so Paddy became even more arrogant, even going as far as to taunt Marshall directly. “Professor Hartley, you said Catherine is your favorite student, right? But why does she seem to know nothing, just sitting there daydreaming?” His words drew everyone’s attention to Catherine.

Unlike her teammates, who were actively discussing, Catherine sat quietly on the side, resting her chin on her hand with a vacant look in her eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

Instantly, discussions started spreading rapidly. The situation became so serious that several school leaders came to Marshall.

“Marshall, what’s going on with that student of yours?” one of the school leaders asked.

Marshall stared at Catherine with a fixed gaze, not knowing what she was planning to do.

Seeing Marshall’s lack of response, the professors didn’t know what was wrong with him. After discussing, they prepared to replace Catherine with a substitute. This suggestion had been made before, but at that time, Marshall strongly opposed it and used his position as a guarantee, firmly recommending Catherine to stay in the laboratory.

Now, Catherine blatantly neglected the competition, showing no regard for it. Even if she didn’t know how to complete the task, she should have joined their discussion, at the very least.

The professors prepared to leave, but Marshall quickly stopped them. The leading professor looked at Marshall, looking somewhat agitated. “Marshall, what’s gotten into you? Why are you still protecting her?” His attitude seemed resolute, indicating that he was determined to replace Catherine.

Marshall’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he glared at them. “I am the mentor of this team. No one is allowed to go into that lab without my command!”

Faced with Marshall’s stubbornness, the professors felt somewhat helpless. They had no choice but to let him be, especially since Marshall said he would take responsibility if anything went wrong.

The mentor from the Johnville Team, upon seeing the commotion from the Styre Team, began to mock them.

“Humph, look at them! It’s so funny! Losers always like to come up with various excuses to cover up their incompetence! And we, as winners, naturally don’t need to complain about anything because we always stand on the stage of victory!”

The merciless mockery left the members of the Styre Team with no dignity. However, they couldn’t even find a reason to refute the taunts. Deep down, they had subconsciously accepted that they were going to lose.

Ronin was present as well. Seeing the arrogant attitude of the Johnville Team, he exploded with rage. After all, he was now a member of Styre University. How could he allow these outsiders to disparage his team like this? As Catherine had said, there was no need to endure when one couldn’t endure anymore.

Ronin stood up and pointed at the Johnville Team’s mentor, mocking loudly, “Oh, stage of victory, huh? But why are you always in second place? How dare you act so high and mighty here. Who was the one who cried after losing the competition? And now you think you always stand on the stage of victory? Do you think we all forgot you cried like a baby last time?”

During the previous Bide Cup, the Johnville Team suffered a devastating defeat, losing three times in a row to the Altonian Team. The mentor of the Johnville Team had to take full responsibility and publicly apologize in front of the nation, shedding tears and expressing regret.

The mentor’s shame was exposed on the spot, but he couldn’t find a better reason to argue back, so he could only sit down in frustration.

Seeing him quiet down, Ronin didn’t want to cause any more disturbance, mainly to avoid affecting Catherine. He decided to argue with that mentor. He would teach that old man a lesson after the competition ended.

Chapter 719 This Is Impossible!

The commotion outside was chaotic, and the situation inside the laboratory wasn’t any better. Ever since Ciaran got caught due to the leak incident, the team was represented by the most experienced member, Eamon.

The team members hesitated to tackle this challenging problem. This wasn’t like their usual experiments in the laboratory where they could afford to make mistakes and start over. In the competition, there was no room for error.

Half an hour had passed, and the Johnville Team had already started working in an orderly manner. However, the Styre Team hadn’t even begun. It seemed like they were giving up.

The rest of the team was getting anxious, and someone suggested asking Catherine for help. While Catherine usually worked alone in experiments and never collaborated with other senior members, Marshall had always believed in her abilities.

Eamon agreed with his teammate’s suggestion and approached Catherine, who was sitting idle. “Catherine, why are you still sitting here blankly? The competition has been going on for half an hour, and we haven’t even figured out the first step!” he exclaimed.

Catherine glanced at the organized Johnville Team as Jason looked over. Seeing the chaotic scene of the Styre Team, he arrogantly raised his middle finger, trying to provoke Catherine. Unfazed by such childish behavior, Catherine ignored him.

“It’s about time. Let’s begin!” Catherine said as she stood up and walked to the experiment table. She quickly wrote and sketched on a piece of paper and handed it to Eamon a few minutes later.

Eamon’s eyes lit up instantly as the jumble of thoughts in his mind cleared at that moment. It was as if Marshall was standing next to him, guiding him through the experiment step by step. He quickly passed Catherine’s plan to his teammates and called for immediate action. “From now on, everyone needs to follow Catherine’s instructions. Is that okay?” he asked.

Catherine’s plan was simple yet precise, making everyone understand how to tackle the problem, which made them willing to follow Catherine’s lead. In unison, they exclaimed, “No problem!”

Catherine began giving instructions and assigning tasks. Watching from the stands, Marshall felt relieved as Catherine and her teammates finally sprang into action. However, he only felt half the relief because he knew time was running out.

Due to the delay, they only had about two hours left. Even if Marshall did the experiment himself, it would take at least two and a half hours. Moreover, they were just a group of students, and they couldn’t possibly complete the task in such a short time.

Marshall could sense the problem, and so could everyone else. The smug look on the face of the Johnville Team’s mentor was evident, as he knew from the start that the victory in this round of competition would ultimately be his. To support his own team, he had put all his assets into the bet. He firmly believed that his team would win by a large margin.

As time passed, the initially trailing Styre Team was now conducting the experiment in an orderly manner under the leadership of Catherine.

Catherine took charge of the core part herself, splitting the remaining segments and assigning them to Eamon for distribution. Initially clueless, Eamon, upon receiving Catherine’s execution plan, instantly cleared his mind and felt confident that he could complete the tasks assigned by her.

At the same time, Eamon’s expression was filled with worry. In his view, Catherine alone couldn’t possibly complete the task. He dared not disturb her and could only do his best to quickly complete the tasks she assigned before finding a way to help her.

Time passed quickly, and everyone’s hearts were racing. Only half an hour left, and the Johnville Team had already started wrapping up their work. Their mentor even boasted that they could finish the competition if given another ten minutes. But just as he finished speaking, a bell suddenly rang.

Everyone was shocked. The bell signified that a team had announced the completion of the task ahead of schedule. No one had expected the Johnville Team to finish so quickly. Their mentor had just finished boasting, and they had already finished the experiment, which was quite impressive.

As everyone looked up at the projection screen to see the result, they were dumbfounded. It wasn’t the expected Johnville Team, but the Styre Team that had finished early. They had started half an hour later than the Johnville Team but had managed to finish the experiment ahead of them, which was unbelievable. “How could they have finished so early?” everyone present wondered.

Not only were the spectators outside the laboratories surprised, but even Eamon and his teammates were in a state of confusion. No one had expected such speed. They had simply handed the materials to Catherine, and then, just two minutes later, they heard Catherine press the completion button. It was too fast for them even to react. It was simply impossible!

Ten minutes later, the Johnville Team finally pressed the button.

The mentor of the Johnville Team couldn’t help but snort disdainfully. Can’t believe they would do something so stupid just to get ahead. Even if they press the button first, it’ll be useless. If the experiment isn’t completed or done well, it’s still a loss, isn’t it?” His words were a thinly veiled jab at Marshall’s team, insinuating that they had intentionally pressed the completion button despite not finishing their experiment.

After the competition ended, all the participants left the laboratories, which were immediately sealed off and guarded by specialized personnel. The competition result would be publicly announced in the afternoon after final deliberation by a professional judging panel.

Even though the result of the competition had not been announced, more people were inclined to believe the mentor of the Johnville Team. In their eyes, it was inconceivable for Styre University to have completed the experiment in such a short time, and they might not even have completed the experiment at all.

Marshall watched as his students left the laboratory and immediately rushed backstage to greet them. After exchanging greetings with a few students, he approached Catherine, uncertainly asking, “Do you think we’ll win?” It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in his students, but in his opinion, it was a task that was fundamentally impossible to complete. He stared at Catherine intently, afraid to miss any of her expressions.

Catherine’s eyes remained calm and unruffled, devoid of any hint of emotion. Her voice was as cold and aloof as ever. “Professor Hartley, prepare yourself mentally!”

Her words were like an alarm, causing a sudden jolt in Marshall’s heart. “Does this mean I need to brace myself for the upcoming defeat?” he wondered.

Losing the competition would surely lead to criticism and even the loss of his position.

Marshall could only shake his head with a helpless smile, silently repeating to himself, “Well, I chose her, so I’ll have to bear the consequences.”

Chapter 720 A Sissy

Marshall led the students to lunch after the competition ended. They couldn’t return yet, as the result of the competition would be announced in the afternoon. After discussing it, they all went to the designated cafeteria for the participants to have their meal.

As they sat down after ordering their food, they watched the Johnville Team, who appeared arrogant and insolent, swagger into the cafeteria.

Marshall, not wanting any trouble, advised his students, “After eating, let’s go to the rest area and rest for a while. Once the competition result comes out in the afternoon, we can go back to the hotel and take a good rest.”

Jason overheard these words as he passed by. “Why wait for the afternoon? In a competition that’s certain to be lost, waiting for the result is meaningless. I advise you guys not to waste time. Go buy a ticket back home early and focus on your coursework. Hah! You’re going to lose anyway!”

Jason’s disdainful laughter infuriated the students of Styre University. They wanted to retort, but they couldn’t find any reason to support their argument. They didn’t even believe in their own team’s potential success, so who else would believe in them? Ultimately, they were not confident enough.

Eamon was worried that Jason’s words would affect Catherine’s mood, so he kindly came over to comfort her. ”

Catherine, don’t be sad and don’t be upset. You don’t need to listen to that idiot’s nonsense. You’re amazing, and we all admire you!”

Although it took some time for Catherine to execute the plan, resulting in a rushed completion of the experiment, her strategy was amazing. Even with a day’s time, Eamon might not have been able to come up with a better one than Catherine’s. She was still so young, and she had a promising future.

Catherine remained silent. “Why would I be sad?” she wondered.

The members who participated in the competition were well aware of Catherine’s capabilities. They had no complaints. Several of them tried to comfort Catherine.

Catherine swallowed her words back down. “Forget it,” she thought. “Let’s wait for the result in the afternoon before wasting time on explanations.”

Those led by Paddy, after hearing these sarcastic remarks, all turned their criticism towards Catherine. In their eyes, it wouldn’t have escalated to the current situation if it weren’t for Catherine’s aggressive approach against the Johnville Team that made them issue a public apology.

Paddy couldn’t contain his frustration as he watched Catherine eating calmly. “Looks like she’s too stupid to understand what’s going on,” he exclaimed. “She caused so much trouble and tarnished the reputation of Styre University, yet she can still sit there and eat as if nothing’s happened. It’s truly amazing!”

His sarcastic remarks were not directly targeting anyone, but everyone knew well who he was referring to.

Amelia, a staunch supporter of Catherine, couldn’t hold back her anger anymore. “Paddy, what nonsense are you talking about? Aren’t you from Styre University? Why are you joining in with a bunch of outsiders to mock us? What are you up to?”

Being criticized, Paddy was furious. He glared at Amelia, saying, “Did I say anything about you? Why are you so worked up? And tell me, am I wrong? Isn’t Styre University’s reputation being tarnished by her?”

Paddy might have been average in studies, but he was quite the smooth talker. Unable to out-argue him, Amelia stomped her foot in frustration. “You…”

Seeing Amelia’s frustration, Paddy felt a sense of triumph and taunted, “If you can’t speak, then sit the hell down!”

Amelia was seething, and seeing Catherine sitting calmly and elegantly eating, she was confused. “Catherine, why are you so composed? Paddy is slandering you. Aren’t you angry?”

Catherine calmly put down her fork and looked at Amelia, asking her, “What’s there to be angry with a sissy like him?”

Amelia, who was initially fuming, suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing Catherine’s words. “Yeah, that’s true!”

Despite Paddy’s tall stature, his habit of gesturing and talking incessantly made him seem effeminate. After Catherine’s comment, everyone present thought of Paddy’s behavior and realized she had a point.

Paddy noticed the strange gazes everyone was giving him and became agitated. “What are you looking at? Is there something wrong with your eyes? Don’t stare at me!” His voice rose and cracked, which became a more high- pitched and effeminate tone. The onlookers, unable to contain themselves, burst into laughter.

Unable to bear it any longer, Paddy slammed down his fork and prepared to leave. Before he departed, he issued a final barb at Catherine. “Wait and see how you’ll embarrass yourself this afternoon!”

Fergus shook his head in the direction Paddy had left and then walked over to apologize to Marshall. “Marshall, I’m sorry. I didn’t teach my student well.”

Marshall quickly waved his hand, telling Fergus not to worry. There were plenty of people with thoughts similar to Paddy’s. It was just that Paddy was too eager to show his inner feelings, which made sense. Furthermore, Fergus had publicly apologized. If Marshall were to hold a grudge, it would just make him a laughingstock.

After accepting Fergus’s apology, Marshall lost his appetite. He looked at the students sitting beside him and thought about Paddy’s words before leaving. He was considering leaving with the students now rather than staying here and subjecting them to ridicule. He’d rather bear the brunt of the insults alone!

While everyone else was busy watching the drama unfold, Catherine had already finished her meal. Then, she took out her phone and sent a photo. Almost immediately, she received a reply. [Good girl!] These two simple words contained endless indulgence.

Meanwhile, Branden had been busy as well. He took the opportunity to inspect the business in Alton. He indulged Catherine in many ways, but he also had his bottom line. If she didn’t eat on time, he would put aside his official duties and come to watch her finish her meal before leaving.

After receiving the reply, Catherine put away her phone and stood up. Before leaving, she lightly pressed her hand on Marshall’s shoulder. “Professor Hartley, desertion is not something a man should do!”

Marshall was stunned, his eyes fixed on Catherine’s graceful figure as she left. ” How did she seem to read my mind?” he wondered. She guessed his thoughts as soon as they occurred to him, which was truly amazing!