Ch. 731..740

Chapter 731 How Could They Win?

The second round of the competition officially began, and only three teams could emerge victorious in this round. The winning teams would secure a spot in the final round, competing for the ultimate victory against the previous champions.

Throughout the competition, the Styre Team was undoubtedly the most popular and prominent. Although they only sent two teams to compete, both advanced to the second round, showcasing unquestionable strength.

As the competition was about to commence, members of the Styre Team were making their final preparations in the backstage lounge.

Eamon looked towards the entrance of the lounge, asking, “Professor Hartley, Catherine can’t come, right?”

“Alas!” Marshall sighed deeply. “She’s still in the hospital. From now on, you all need to compete seriously. Don’t bring shame to her.”

Eamon’s eyes showed some disappointment. Catherine had always worked miracles for them. He thought she would do the same this time, but the miracle did not happen.

Due to Fergus being busy researching antidotes in the laboratory, he couldn’t lead the team. Marshall had to take on multiple roles. Just like Marshall’s team, Fergus’s team was now short of one member as well, as the police had taken away Paddy. However, Paddy wasn’t a core member of their team. As long as they used substitutes, they still had a good chance to win.

Although Catherine’s situation hadn’t been exposed, there were no secrets in this world, especially since Paddy was taken away for no reason. Many people speculated that Paddy had something to do with Catherine’s hospitalization, causing her to lose the opportunity to participate in the competition.

Therefore, although Paddy’s teammates knew Fergus had gone to treat Catherine, none of them had any complaints. After all, Paddy was Fergus’s student, and if he were genuinely responsible, Fergus would also be held accountable for it.

When the time came, the bell at the venue officially rang. Marshall led the students toward the laboratories, but the miracle still did not occur. Catherine was still lying in the hospital bed, awaiting the development of the antidote.

Fergus’s students sent updates of the competition to him via their phones. Fergus paid special attention to Marshall’s team and discovered they had substituted Catherine with a backup. A smug smile appeared on his face as he turned to enter the laboratory.

“Connie, I’ve developed another batch of antidote. Although it may not immediately clear the neurotoxins in Catherine’s body, it might help her wake up quickly. Let’s send it over for a trial!”

Connie looked at Fergus, her eyes full of excitement. “That’s great, Professor Lynch. I’ll take it to Catherine as soon as possible!”

Fergus handed the prepared reagent to Connie and asked her to take it to the hospital room. Watching her departing figure, he smiled faintly. The competition was already halfway through, and even if Catherine had woken up now, she wouldn’t have been able to make it to the competition. But then again, the show would truly begin only after Catherine woke up.

An hour later, Fergus finished tidying up the equipment in the laboratory and planned to go to the hospital room to check on Catherine’s condition. Upon reaching the hospital room, he found it empty, with even the guard at the door missing. He quickly stopped a nearby nurse and inquired about the situation. “Where is the patient in this room?”

“The patient experienced an adverse reaction after taking the medication, and her vital signs kept declining. She’s in critical condition and has been taken to the emergency room!” the nurse replied.

Upon hearing this, Fergus was somewhat astonished, finding it hard to believe what he had just heard. The medicine he provided was supposed to wake Catherine up, so how could it have led to a critical condition? “Could there be an issue with the dosage in the reagent?” he wondered. “Or was it administered in excessive amounts?”

With a mind full of doubt, Fergus hurried to the entrance of the emergency room. By this time, several people had gathered there, all wearing solemn expressions.

Upon seeing Fergus, Ronin rushed forward, grabbing him by the collar and glaring at him. “What kind of medicine did you give Catherine? What the hell did you do?”

Everyone could tell from Ronin’s aggressive stance that he was ready to beat Fergus up. Several people rushed forward to restrain Ronin.

Fergus finally managed to break free from Ronin’s grip and crouched to the side, coughing violently. Ronin was really ruthless; he had almost strangled him to death just now.

Paxton brought a bottle of water and handed it to Fergus. “Professor Lynch, are you okay?”

Fergus took a sip of water and then shook his head. “I’m fine. How is Catherine? I need to see her.”

Hearing this, Ronin instantly became furious. “See her? I won’t let you harm Catherine again, you bastard! If you want to go in, step over my dead body!”

Ronin was furious, and Paxton quickly intervened to calm Fergus. “Professor Lynch, Ronin is really worked up right now. We all know this isn’t your fault, but he’s being stubborn and won’t listen to us. Please, just ignore him for now. I’ll let you know when there’s news about Catherine.”

Fergus was glared at by Ronin, who looked like he was about to kill him, leaving him terrified. He then chose to heed Paxton’s advice, saying, “Alright, I’ll go back to the lounge for now. Let me know if there’s any news later.”

“I’ll walk you there,” Paxton said, escorting Fergus to the lounge before leaving.

Back in the lounge, Fergus lay comfortably in bed. He just wanted to rest and put what happened just now aside. However, the nagging pain in his neck made him feel like he wanted to kill Ronin. “You really went all out, Ronin,” he murmured inwardly. “I gotta teach you a lesson, you brat!”

At the Bide Cup scene, many spectators noticed that Catherine didn’t make an appearance. They had been looking forward to seeing her prove her strength again, but her absence left many feeling disappointed and even worrying about the Styre Team’s performance.

Although the opponents the Styre Team faced this time weren’t as strong as the Johnville Team from the previous round, they were a world- class team arranged by the top laboratories. Without Catherine, how could the Styre Team win?

Watching the progress of the two teams, many began to worry about the Styre Team because it was indeed falling behind. Some even predicted that at this rate, the Styre Team would undoubtedly lose!

Chapter 732 You’re the First One

The competition was extremely intense, with the first half dominated by impressive teams. However, in the second half, there was a complete turnaround.

For instance, Fergus’s team had been quick in solving complex problems in the first half, far surpassing the neighboring team. But their speed noticeably slowed down in the second half, and the opposing teams caught them up. Seeing themselves in a disadvantaged position, Fergus’s team was visibly disturbed, their mistakes increasing.

As for Marshall’s team, they had not been favored from the start because their speed was simply too slow. The opposing teams had completed two- thirds of the tasks while they had only completed one-third. However, at the last moment, with the help of the substitute, their teamwork was extremely coordinated, allowing them to reverse the speed and be the first to finish the game. As long as their completion rate did not fall behind the opposing teams and achieved a lower error rate, they would win.

At the hospital, Fergus had just woken up when he received a call from his student. He had thought it was a call with good news and answered the phone with a bright smile. “How did it go? Did we win?” he asked.

“We did,” the student replied.

Fergus couldn’t help but frown. “You silly, why do you sound so frustrated if we won? Shouldn’t you be happy?”

“Professor Lynch, it’s not our team that won; Professor Hartley’s team did.

“What?” Fergus found it hard to believe. He asked, trembling slightly, How is that possible? Catherine didn’t even compete. How could Marshall’s team win?”

“The substitute in Marshall’s team is as formidable as Catherine. They were initially behind the opposing teams but later caught up and won,” the student replied.

Upon hearing this, Fergus felt a ringing in his head and a sharp pain in his heart.

“Professor Lynch, are you there?” the student asked, concerned.

Fergus sat in the chair, dazed, clutching his chest. His face was filled with pain, and he was unable to speak. After a while, he finally came to his senses and picked up the phone from the floor. He needed to find out what had happened.

As Fergus stepped out of the lounge, he ran into Paxton.

Paxton said, “Professor Lynch, perfect timing. I thought you were still sleeping!”

Fergus looked at Paxton with a puzzled expression. “What’s up?”

Paxton replied, “I have good news for you. Miss Swann has woken up. She just came out of the operating room and is now in her room. You’re in a hurry to see her, right?”

Fergus originally intended to rush back to the hotel to check on the competition’s situation, but he hadn’t expected Paxton to ask him this question.

Fergus had to nod in agreement. “Yeah, I was so worried about Catherine that I couldn’t sleep well. I woke up after a short rest, and I will see her now!”

Paxton suggested, “Let’s go then!”

Fergus gave a faint smile and followed behind Paxton as they made their way to the hospital room.

The room was crowded with people, and Catherine lay weakly on the hospital bed, looking pale.

When Catherine looked up and saw Fergus standing nearby, she greeted him, “Professor Lynch!”

Everyone’s attention shifted to Fergus, who approached Catherine with a smile on his face. “Are you feeling better, Catherine?”

“Yes! Thank you for developing the antidote for me, Professor Lynch.” Catherine’s eyes were filled with sincerity.

Before, Fergus had always felt that Catherine was extremely arrogant and aloof, not even giving him a second glance. It was rare for her to speak to him in this manner. “You are Marshall’s best student. I have to do my best to save you, both professionally and personally. No need to thank me, as long as you get better!”

Seeing Catherine awake, Fergus couldn’t wait to verify the antidote’s effectiveness. “Now that you’re awake, it means my antidote worked. I’ll have a nurse draw a blood sample for testing to develop a complete solution to neutralize the neurotoxin in your body as soon as possible.”

Catherine nodded faintly in agreement.

After calling for a nurse to draw blood, Fergus soon received the blood sample, and he seemed excited. He made an effort to contain his emotions, not wanting to appear too happy. ” Catherine, Marshall is particularly concerned about you. I can’t let him down. Rest well. I’m going to the laboratory!” he said.

“Sure! Thank you, Professor Lynch!”

Catherine watched as Fergus left. As soon as he left the hospital room, her previously calm eyes immediately turned icy.

Sitting beside Catherine the whole time, Branden stroked her pale face and tenderly said, “Let me handle this, okay?”

Catherine glanced at him, and Branden understood what she meant with just one look. In his entire lifetime, only Catherine could make him swallow his pride.

“Okay, I’ll leave it to you. But you must promise me that you will never hurt yourself again. or else I will do something crazy.” Branden lowered his head, his cold lips tightly pressed against Catherine’s warm hand. He couldn’t tell anyone how nervous he felt when Catherine collapsed in his arms. His brain completely shut down, leaving his mind blank. No one could understand his feelings at that moment. He felt as if his blood instantly ran cold. He didn’t want Catherine to take any more risks. He wished it had happened to him, not Catherine.

Catherine knew well that Branden was an extraordinary man. It seemed that he was able to do anything. This was the first time she had seen him so humble, and she felt a pang of heartache. She gently stroked his hair, which felt very tough and a bit prickly, but she still liked it very much.

“I see. It won’t happen again,” Catherine promised.

Branden slowly raised his head, and his previously low spirits vanished, replaced by a playful and ambiguous expression as he looked at her. “Have you heard that you shouldn’t touch a man’s head, or it’ll bring bad luck?”

Catherine was taken aback, seemingly not expecting him to say such words. Before she could answer, Branden continued, “But if you’re willing to support me, you can touch it as much as you want!” With that, he leaned his head toward her.

Seeing his nonchalant appearance, Catherine chuckled. “Branden, has anyone told you that you are thick- skinned?”

“Humph…” Branden chuckled as he hugged her. “No, you’re the first one!”

“And the only one,” he murmured in his heart.

Chapter 733 Terrible Jealousy

Eamon was in a bit of disbelief after seeing the advancement list. “They actually won!”

Unlike last time, after the doubts from last time, no one questioned the strength of the Styre Team this time. The match progressed smoothly.

The Styre Team won the advancement card and would stand at the top of the third-round final to challenge the champion team.

Seeing Marshall appear, Eamon immediately came forward. “Professor Hartley, did you see Marlon?”

Marshall gave him a suspicious look. ” Why are you looking for him?”

“I haven’t seen him since the match was over.” Eamon’s eyes lit up at the mention of his junior brother, Marlon Pratt. “Professor Hartley, our team is really amazing. We have all kinds of talents. Originally, I thought that Catherine was already very powerful, but I didn’t realize that Marlon was also so powerful. He really surpassed us.

Marshall smiled coldly and said expressionlessly, “Marlon is too tired. He overachieved today and asked to go rest as soon as the match was over. I’ve already asked him to go back to the hotel to rest. You guys don’t come to bother him, okay?”

“Okay, I got it. Marlon did have a long day today. We should let him rest more. I won’t go bother him!”

“You keep an eye here. I’ll go to the hospital to check on Catherine!” Marshall rushed toward the hospital after explaining.

He still did not know what was going on over at the hospital. This matter was getting more and more complicated, and his heart was always filled with worries.

In the laboratory, Fergus took the blood sample he got from Catherine and put it into the laboratory equipment for testing.

When he got the data results, the smile on his face could no longer be concealed.

Connie happened to see this scene when she entered the door. She asked casually, “Professor Lynch, what is it that makes you so happy? I can tell that you’re happy!”

Fergus’s eyes flickered for a second. Then he resumed a calm face. “I’m checking the data of Catherine’s blood sample. The neurotoxin is well controlled in her body, which means the antidote I developed earlier is working well. I’m so happy about it.”

“Professor Lynch, you are truly a great mentor. Catherine is not your student, but you are so dedicated and hardworking to help her. You’re so admirable!”

Fergus proudly raised his eyebrows. He said calmly, “She’s also a student of Styre University. That’s what I should do. Thank you for your praise! You can leave and do your things. I’ll send these data to some authorities in the industry to discuss it again.”

When Fergus left the laboratory, Connie immediately went up and imported the data inside the computer.

Although the data had been deleted artificially, Fergus did not know that they had long ago tampered inside the computer in advance.

Fergus had deleted the data, but after deleting it, the data would be automatically transferred to a memory card that had been set up in advance.

Connie only needed to retrieve the memory card and replicate the data inside.

After getting the data, Connie restored the laboratory to its original state.

Looking at Fergus’ desk, a sinister smile appeared on Connie’s face.

Connie thought to herself, “You want to fight our boss? You’re still too weak. Catherine has always been very cautious in her actions. You’re just a small fry. You don’t even deserve her attention.”

After coming out from the laboratory, Fergus did not let the car that the school had prepared for him to pick him up. Instead, he took a taxi by himself and set off.

When he arrived at the appointed place, he met the man who was in contact with him. After sitting down, Fergus could no longer control his emotions and revealed a ferocious face.

“Professor Sterling, didn’t we have a deal that you would let my team advance and let Marshall’s team fail? I even poisoned Catherine, as you requested. Why did you betray me?”

Atticus looked very calm in the face of Fergus’ anger.

He slowly put down the newspaper in his hand and stared fiercely at Fergus.

“Don’t forget the agreement between you and me is that only one team from the Styre University could be advanced. Fergus, it was you who didn’t do your job well enough to let Marshall’s team advance, and you still dare to yell at me?

Fergus was calm in the face of the questioning.

He did not feel guilty at all. He retorted forcefully, “It’s because the people you’ve arranged for are so bad. Catherine didn’t even compete, but you guys still couldn’t win Marshall’s team. You guys are losers!”

“Humph!” Atticus sneered. His eyes looked up and down at Fergus with disdain. “We are losers? Are you sure it’s not you and your team who are the losers? You all got the exam questions in advance, yet you still failed. You guys are just utter losers!”

Fergus could not lift his head at Atticus’s rebuttal. Fergus originally intended to make a name for himself by advancing so that he would not be overshadowed by Marshall at Styre University. However, he never expected that his dream would ultimately fail.

Over the years, Marshall’s reputation in the university had always overshadowed his. Marshall was more valued by their leaders, and he even got promoted faster than Fergus.

Whenever there was a big event in the university, Marshall would be the one to attend, and it was not Fergus’s turn at all.

But in Fergus’ eyes, he was the professor who contributed the most to the university, while Marshall was just relying on his research project.

Fergus originally wanted to take advantage of the success of the Bide Cup to win back his defeat, but he did not expect the people from his team who participated in the competition to be so unimpressive.

After thinking for a long time, Fergus finally accepted the fact that they had failed. “Professor Sterling, I did everything you asked me to do. Marshall’s team was able to advance because they were too strong. Since I did what you asked, shouldn’t you honor the payment you promised me?”

“Fergus, we’re old friends. I know exactly what you want, and you should understand what I want as well,” said Atticus.

Fergus hesitated for a moment but still handed over the data. “This is the data I just got. The blood sample is from Catherine.”

Hearing this, Atticus immediately became interested. He reached out to take the data in one hand and checked it carefully.

After checking the data, a strange smile appeared at the corner of Atticus’ mouth.

“Fergus, you did a great job. The payment I promised you will be credited to your account on time.”

Knowing that his conditions could be met, Fergus could no longer conceal his excitement and happily shook hands with Atticus.

“Professor Sterling, don’t worry. As long as I can receive the payment on time, I will definitely cooperate with you properly!”

Atticus raised his eyebrows, with an intriguing strangeness and eerie look in his eyes. “Hope we can have a nice cooperation!”

Fergus left happily after receiving a satisfactory reply.

Atticus was left alone. Looking at the information Fergus brought in his hand, the smile on his face became more and more obvious.

Atticus thought triumphantly in his heart, “Fergus, you’re an idiot. You don’t understand the importance of Catherine at all. Hahaha, with just a little money, I can easily solve Catherine. This is really enjoyable.

Next, I’ll watch Catherine lose little by little. Catherine, even though you’re a genius and you have a backer like Branden behind you, so what? This is not Eskana. It’s Alton, my place. Since you dare to come, I can make you enjoy yourself here.”

Chapter 734 The Food Branden Cooked Personally

The second round of the competition had come to an end. There were two days of rest.

Knowing that Catherine had awakened, as a representative, Eamon brought two members to the hospital with Marshall to visit her.

“Catherine, you heard about our team advancing, right?”

Catherine nodded slightly with a particularly calm expression on her face.

Eamon excitedly introduced their junior brother, Marlon, to Catherine. He kept praising Marlon as a rare genius with exceptional abilities, just like Catherine.

Catherine just nodded lightly and did not respond much.

Eamon chattered a lot more, making Marshall on the side a little impatient.” Eamon, Catherine just woke up. We should let her rest more!”

After being reminded, Eamon finally realized. “Okay. Catherine, you rest more then. We will take our leave first. You take care. We will participate in the advancement competition together when you get better.”

“Okay, thanks for coming to see me!” After Catherine finished speaking, Eamon happily left the ward with the two accompanying juniors.

Just after they walked out of the ward, the accompanying junior sister muttered with a face full of disgust, Women are just petty. Obviously, it was her reason that almost delayed our team, and now she’s actually jealous of others!”

The junior brother, standing at the side who was on good terms with her, hurriedly stopped her from going on.

Eamon was a straight man. He was only obsessed with research projects in his daily life, so he rarely paid attention to these things.

So when he suddenly heard his junior sister’s remarks, he felt a bit puzzled. ” Who are you talking about?”

The junior brother tried to stop the junior sister but could not stop her.

“Eamon, you have a straight character and can’t see through people’s hearts. I’m worried that you’ve been tricked by Catherine. She’s a very bad girl. There is something wrong with her illness. She couldn’t compete. We had Marlon participate in the competition, and he did well. But did you see her grim face just now? She didn’t answer even when you asked her. She almost showed jealousy on her face!”

Eamon frowned slightly. He asked with some confusion, “Really? Catherine doesn’t seem like that kind of person. She’s just cold and unassuming.”

His junior sister clearly saw Eamon’s defense of Catherine as a kind of defense after being deceived by Catherine.

Thinking about this, the junior sister’s mood grew increasingly unpleasant. She directly began to complain. “In the past, I could accept her arrogant appearance when I saw she was capable. I didn’t expect that Marlon could make her jealous like this. She’s terrifying!”

The crowd did not notice that while they were discussing, a beautiful figure happened to pass by them.

Zobber originally did not intend to pay attention to these people, but she did not expect that the one they were discussing was actually Catherine.

Zobber could not help herself when she saw the ugly woman mocking and slandering Catherine. She immediately stopped her footsteps and put her hands across her chest to size up the other party.

“You said that others are jealous. I think you are the one who easily gets jealous! Besides talking nonsense, you don’t know much, do you? You really deserve your ugly appearance. It seems that the saying, ugly people like causing trouble, is true!”

The junior sister, who Zobber retorted, did not even have a chance to retaliate.

In front of Zobber, she suddenly lost her words.

She could only stare angrily at Zobber, out of breath. “Who… Who are you? Who do you think you are to talk

nonsense in front of me?”

“Hmph, I’m talking nonsense?” Zobber sneered disdainfully. “Why don’t you go to the mirror and look closer at your appearance? Do you think you’re worthy of me talking nonsense to you?”

Zobber’s words were insulting, making Eamon’s junior sister unable to say anything at all.

Zobber even said harshly and warned Eamon’s junior sister, “What? You’re not convinced? Come and compete with me!”

Seeing the commotion over there, Ronin and the others immediately rushed over.

“What’s going on?” Ronin asked Zobber.

Zobber did not hide it. She pointed at Eamon’s junior sister and grunted, “I heard this girl bad-mouthing Catherine. Who does she think she is? How dare she insult Catherine?”

Ronin instantly became angry when he heard that the other party actually dared to insult Catherine. His originally handsome and cute face immediately showed an expression that a devil would have.

Seeing that the situation had escalated, Eamon quickly asked his junior brother to pull his junior sister away. He stayed to apologize in person. He talked for a long time before making everyone satisfied.

Ronin and the others decided not to continue their quarrel for Eamon’s sake.

Such an unknown fry was not worth their time.

Eamon left in gratitude. When they were far away, Ronin told Zobber and the others, “Catherine has a lot to do lately, so there’s no need to tell her about this annoying thing.”

Zobber raised her eyebrows in approval. “Don’t worry. I know that. Come on. Let’s go see her in the ward!”

When they entered the ward, it happened to be lunchtime.

A strong aroma of food wafted out from the ward, causing everyone to gulp silently.

Catherine was sitting against her hospital bed with a special table in front of her, filled with a variety of food.

Zobber peered closer with curiosity; there were many delicious foods, all of which she loved to eat.

“Catherine, Your nutritious meal is too rich!”

As she spoke, she was about to make a move to take Catherine’s food, but Ronin slapped her hand away.

Zobber looked at Ronin with a furious face and gritted her teeth. “Brat, are you crazy? You dare to make a move on me. You’re seeking death!”

Ronin glanced at her in disgust. “You dare to grab Catherine’s food. You don’t even ask who made it?”

Zobber thought that Ronin’s words sounded a bit inexplicable. She thought to herself, “Who else could have made such delicious food? Branden must have hired a chef to cook it for Catherine. But if that were true, Ronin would not have had to say that.”

Zobber thought for a moment and seemed to react.

Branden sat on the side. He focused on feeding Catherine as if no one was around.

Zobber took another look at the plates that held the food. She realized the food did not look like something from a restaurant but instead had a bit of a home-cooking style.

She pointed to the exquisite food Catherine was eating and asked hesitantly, “Don’t tell me that Mr. Duncan cooked this in person.”

Ronin gave her a disgusted look and ignored her.

Catherine did not think as much as Ronin did. Seeing Zobber’s craving, she took a fork and handed it over. “Let’s eat together!”

Zobber carefully scrutinized Branden but did not reach out to take the fork.

After a long time, she exclaimed in amazement, “We really should not judge people by their appearances. I’m surprised that Mr. Duncan’s cooking skills are so superb!”

“Have some?” Catherine asked again.

Zobber reacted and immediately waved her hand to decline. “No, thanks!”

Zobber dared not eat the hearty meal that Branden personally cooked for Catherine. She did not deserve such good treatment.

When Catherine was almost done eating, Zobber handed over the newly obtained information. “Catherine, this is the information of all the members of the Altonian Team. Take a look.”

Chapter 735 Fergus’ Conspiracy

Catherine reached for the information Zobber handed her. She went through the information of the members of the Altonian Team.

She had to admit that there was indeed something great about the Altonian Team for them to be able to stand on the championship stage for so many years. Their team members were all the top players in this field at the moment.

Catherine laughed softly when she turned to the last page of the lead mentors.

She threw the information at Branden, signaling him to take a look.

Atticus, the former doctoral mentor of Ellinos Academy, was now serving as the Altonian Team’s lead mentor.

Branden did not look surprised when he saw the information.

He took out his cell phone and handed it to Catherine.

A video was playing on the phone screen. The main character in the video was none other than their old friend, Atticus.

Catherine gave Branden a suspicious look. “You already knew it?”

Branden raised his eyebrows lightly at Catherine, and a hint of amusement showed in his eyes. “Yes, I knew that a little earlier than you!”

Zobber stood at the side. Seeing Catherine and Branden eyeballing each other, she could not help but ask, ” What are you doing? What’s the good news? Share with us!”

“Nothing!” Branden and Catherine almost spoke in unison.

Seeing that the two were so taciturn, Zobber couldn’t help but grunt coldly, ” Having a partner is so great!”

Branden, who had always been a man of few words, took the initiative to respond to Zobber. As a result, his words were still full of flaunt. “It’s indeed great. Don’t you think so?”

Zobber was shocked. She didn’t expect the high and mighty Branden actually to have such a side.

She thought to herself somewhat helplessly, “I have no partner, but you can’t hurt me like this, can you?”

Branden and Catherine were both big shots. Zobber couldn’t afford to offend them, so she could only endure! “Yes, I think so. You guys continue showing off!”

Catherine had initially planned to have Ronin and the others keep an eye on Atticus. But from the expression on Branden’s face, she could tell that Branden should have arranged for someone to do that. This way, she wouldn’t have to make any more arrangements.

Branden saw Catherine’s weariness and directly ordered everyone out of the ward to let Catherine rest in peace.

Facing the deep darkness of the night, Marshall knocked on the door of Fergus ‘room.

Fergus was a little surprised to see him arrive. He froze for a moment before an awkward smile appeared on his face. ” Marshall, it’s so late. What brings you here? Could it be that you couldn’t sleep from the excitement of your team advancing and came to find me for a drink?”

Marshall looked at him with a frown on his face. “Come on. Stop saying those words. I’m all worried to death. Let’s have a chat. You help me analyze it!”

“Come in!” Fergus sidestepped and let Marshall into the room.

When Marshall sat down, Fergus poured Marshall a cup of coffee.

Then he took the initiative to ask, ” What’s the situation? Why are you still looking so glum? Didn’t your team just advance? Why don’t you look happy with such great news?”

“Do you want to be the champion?” Marshall looked at Fergus with a serious face.

Fergus was confused by his pressing look and sudden question. He cautiously sized Marshall up as various thoughts flashed through his mind.

He didn’t understand why Marshall was suddenly asking this question. He thought to himself, “Is he onto something? Or is it…”

After a few moments of silence, Fergus finally calmed down. He smiled awkwardly, with envy in his words. ” Who wouldn’t want to win the championship? It’s just that I don’t have the chance now.”

Marshall didn’t seem to see Fergus’s embarrassment. He clapped his hand and nodded in agreement.

He said, “That’s right. Even people like you who don’t like competition want to win championships, not to mention me. Fergus, I won’t hide anything from you since we’ve been colleagues for so many years. You want to win the championship, and so do I. This isn’t just a competition but also a scientific one. This is not an ordinary competition, but the Bide Cup, the pinnacle of scientific research! If I could win the championship, that would be great!”

Marshall’s vehement reaction was a secret relief to Fergus’ insides.

He had been speculating whether Marshall had found something, but now it seemed he had made the right bet. “Didn’t your team advance? You’re going to be involved in the championship fight next. What are you still worried about?”

“We both know how strong the Altonian Team is. Now that Catherine is sick, how can I not worry?” Marshall sighed deeply and had a worried look on his face.

“Don’t you still have Marlon? I’ve heard that this normally unimpressive kid on your team is as talented as Catherine,” Fergus said.

Although Fergus didn’t have the chance to go to the match that day, he had heard a lot lately about this new character on Marshall’s team.

He thought that Marshall was really lucky. Marshall’s team just got Catherine, and then the talented young man Marlon also joined.

Hearing Fergus mention Marlon, the expression on Marshall’s face grew more and more solemn. “He isn’t that good. He’s not even close to Catherine. If Catherine can attend, perhaps our team can compete with the Altonian Team, but if it’s Marlon, we will definitely lose.”

Watching Marshall’s extremely distressed expression, Fergus had a sudden idea. “Marshall…”

Fergus’s hesitant demeanor made Marshall anxious. “Fergus, we’ve been colleagues for so many years. If you have something to say, just say it. Or if you have any difficulties, say it too. I’ll definitely help you.”

Fergus felt a surge of self-satisfaction in his heart. His opportunity had finally come.

But he remained calm on his face and told Marshall, “Marshall, it’s not that I have difficulties. It’s that I want to help you!”

Marshall asked suspiciously, “Help me?

“Uh-huh!” Fergus nodded, then spoke his mind out. “I have a way to make Catherine attend. Would you like to try it?”

As soon as he said this, Marshall immediately looked at him with a shocked expression on his face. “You have a way? You’ve developed the antidote?”

“Sort of!” Fergus replied.

“What do you mean sort of?” Marshall instantly became anxious when he heard the ambiguous answer. He looked at Fergus with excitement on his face.

Fergus signaled him to take it easy and then explained the situation to him clearly. “I have developed this antidote, but it comes with a little side effect.”

Seeing that Marshall was about to get anxious again, Fergus took the lead and said, “Don’t worry. The side effect is minimal. It has no side effects other than making Catherine sleep a few more days after the match. I didn’t dare to give it to Catherine, and I think you know the reason… Catherine has Mr. Duncan with her, and Mr. Duncan won’t let Catherine take that risk. You are Catherine’s mentor. You should know how important it would be for Catherine if she could win this time and how brilliant her future would be after that!”

Looking at Marshall, who was deep in thought after hearing his words, Fergus understood that Marshall was in favor of his proposal. He urged, ” Marshall, it’s not too late!”

Marshall stared at Fergus and reconfirmed, “Does its side effect really just make her sleep for a few more days?

“I’ll bet my life on it!” On the surface, Fergus replied decisively, but on the inside, he was filled with joy.

He could guarantee Marshall would take the bait.

Not to mention Marshall, even if it were him, he wouldn’t hesitate to choose such a good opportunity in front of him. After all, it was human nature to chase after fame and fortune.

“Marshall, if you really don’t feel okay to make Catherine suffer the little side effect, why don’t you whisper this news to Catherine and let her make her own decision? But you must ask Catherine to keep it a secret and not tell anyone!”

“Okay!” Marshall agreed. “I’ll ask Catherine and then give you an answer.

Chapter 736 Sleeping Beside Her

Late at night, the lights of the ward were turned off, leaving everything dim and the pathways barely visible.

An agile figure stealthily emerged within the ward and crept toward the bed. Before the intruder extended a hand, the person on the bed acted swiftly. The intruder was subdued completely with a gust of wind and a swift maneuver.

As the intruder attempted to resist, Catherine acted decisively and swiftly incapacitated the intruder’s hand with a forceful strike. The intruder was in so much pain that he grimaced and pleaded loudly, “Catherine, I swear I won’t do it again!”

With a firm grip, Catherine hoisted the intruder up and forcefully pushed him aside. The collision with the ceiling light switch instantly flooded the room with brightness from the previously dim space.

The intruder sat on the floor and clutched his sore arm. He stared intently at Catherine. “Catherine, aren’t you sick? With your current condition, even a special forces soldier won’t stand a chance against you.”

Catherine was expressionless as she stared at the intruder with her cold eyes. It sent shivers down the intruder’s spine.

The intruder asked, “Catherine, my arm’s busted. Isn’t this punishment enough?”

Catherine looked at him coldly and gestured dismissively. If it weren’t for the intruder’s years of allegiance, she would have taken him out.

This intruder was Wantells, one of the core members of the Hacker Alliance, akin to Withal and Zobber.

Wantells had come to Alton for a mission, but he was intercepted midway by Catherine.

Later, he learned from Zobber that Catherine was in Alton. Usually distant and uninterested in dealing with people, Wantells relentlessly badgered Zobber until he finally got information about Catherine.

Tonight, he evaded the guards arranged by Branden at the hospital. He seized the opportunity while Branden was away and sneaked in undetected.

Summoned by Catherine, Wantells dragged his disabled arm and hesitantly approached her. With a firm press, Catherine forcefully restored the dislocated arm she had previously manipulated.

Wantells, who had trained extensively since childhood, remained composed and merely furrowed his brows at the discomfort.

“Alright!” Catherine abruptly pushed him again. This time, Wantells was prepared and didn’t fall. He gracefully landed in a seated position on the nearby sofa.

During their scuffle, Wantells had already sized up Catherine’s situation. Initially, he was concerned when he heard about Catherine entering the hospital. It seemed Wantells’ worry was unnecessary. Catherine’s demeanor indicated no issues whatsoever.

“So, what brings you to me?” Catherine cut to the chase, unwilling to beat around the bush.

Only upon arriving at the hospital did Wantells realize that Catherine was currently involved with Branden. The famous scion of the Duncans had become Catherine’s man. Wantells thought it was interesting.

“Catherine, is your man really Branden? “Wantells asked.

Catherine didn’t deny it. She essentially admitted to everything by not refuting it.

After knowing the answer directly from Catherine, Wantells found it somewhat unbelievable. His face contorted in an odd expression as he looked at Catherine and asked in disbelief, “If we’re on the same side now, why did he try to eliminate me?”

Branden’s men had pursued him since he stood up Branden. Moreover, the Duncans had specifically requested the leader of the Hacker Alliance for a task, and that was none other than Catherine.

Wantells wondered whether this was a new way of public display of affection for a boyfriend to solicit work from his girlfriend by setting a high price.

Catherine calmly responded, “He doesn’t know I’m the leader of the Hacker Alliance.”

This revelation shocked Wantells. He widened his eyes and stared at Catherine. He repeatedly verified that this wasn’t a joke. “Young people these days really know how to play! Catherine, you’re amazing!”

Catherine’s eyes narrowed, and she exuded a domineering aura. “You came here just to ask about this?”

Seeing Catherine’s potential explosion, Wantells immediately backed down. He abandoned the jokes and steered the conversation toward serious matters. ” Catherine, I’ve been investigating that task given by the Duncans. That woman has vanished without a trace. Strange, right?”

“Missing in action?” Catherine inquired.

“Yes,” Wantells replied.

Regardless of whether someone was alive or dead, they always left traces. Whether it was to meet the living or see the remains, the Hacker Alliance could always make it. They boasted the world’s largest intelligence network. Even if someone had been dead for years, they could unearth the bones if they got involved. But the person the Duncans were looking for seemed to have vanished into thin air with no traces at all. This was giving Wantells quite a headache.

“Catherine, the only possibility is that place,” Wantells said.

Hearing that, Catherine immediately furrowed her brow tightly. She knew precisely where Wantells was referring to. No wonder Branden required the leader of the Hacker Alliance. That place was somewhere only she had successfully escaped from.

“Keep investigating. Once I’m done with my current tasks, I’ll get in touch, “Catherine said.

Realizing Catherine was about to dismiss him, Wantells was about to say a few more words when he caught faint footsteps nearby. Reacting swiftly, he pushed open the window.

The window only opened halfway, which was not big enough for an ordinary adult to pass through. However, this didn’t stump Wantells.

During his time in Southeast Acineian streets, he had once trained under a master adept in bone manipulation and practiced for years.

With ease, he condensed his bones to their utmost limit and pressed them together. He jumped through the window and vanished into the dark night.

Just as Wantells left, the door to the ward swung open. Branden, who had just finished handling company matters, hurried in. The moment he saw Catherine, his usually cold gaze softened. “Why aren’t you resting?”

Catherine didn’t respond. Her expression turned slightly displeased as she noticed the air of dust and chill clinging to him. “I’m fine. You didn’t need to rush over.”

Hearing this, Branden chuckled and looked at her with excitement in his dark eyes. “Planning to discard people once you’re done using them, Miss Swann?”

Catherine glanced at him coldly. ” People?”

With his coat off, after shedding the chill, Branden approached and embraced Catherine. He ensured she remained untouched by the dust from outside. “I didn’t come to keep you company. I need you. I can’t sleep without you. Is that all right?”

Catherine allowed him to pull her into his embrace. She looked at his somewhat shameless demeanor with a hint of resignation. “Does the world outside know the composed and arrogant Mr. Duncan has this shameless side in private?”

Branden gave a roguish smile. He had a demeanor entirely different from his usual cold and ruthless aura. “I don’t care what the world thinks. As long as you like it.”

As he leaned closer, Catherine reached out to push him away, but Branden tightened his hold on her. In the long night, Branden slept beside Catherine.

Chapter 737 The Fruits

When the job was finally done, Fergus was thrilled. He couldn’t contain his excitement and immediately dialed Atticus’s number.

“Professor Sterling, I’ve finished everything you asked for. Can you arrange my payment now?” Fergus asked.

Hearing Fergus’s words, Atticus replied with disdain in his eyes, “Professor Lynch, I trust you, but it’s not just up to us. I need something to convince my boss before I can arrange your payment, right? How about you wait a couple of days? Once everything’s settled, I’ll wire the money to you right away!”

Fergus had long seen through Atticus’s scheming. He knew it was not easy to take out money from Atticus.

Fergus was well-prepared and confidently replied, “Professor Sterling, check your inbox. Maybe this can help you convince your boss.”

Sensing Fergus’s implication, Atticus immediately opened his email. It contained a video and a blood report. The footage was covertly recorded. It showcased Catherine taking the medication provided by Marshall, and the report displayed Catherine’s blood test after taking the medication.

Seeing the data in the report, Atticus smirked. He finally achieved what he wanted. This was the result he desired.

“Professor Sterling, does the content of this email suffice for your boss?” Fergus’s voice came through the phone, conveying a hint of threat.

Atticus understood Fergus’s intent and knew Fergus only sought money. Money was the least of Atticus’ concerns, especially as this expense wasn’t coming from his pocket.

“Professor Lynch, rest assured. Your reward will be in your account soon,” Atticus said.

With his request met, Fergus joyfully hung up the phone. Yet, his inner turmoil persisted. He had avoided confrontation for years. He aimed to rise unexpectedly. But Marshall unexpectedly stole all his thunder. If that was the case, he had to secure something for himself. Since he couldn’t gain fame, he decided to pursue money.

Fergus blamed it on Marshall’s greed. He thought Marshall solely wanted the championship. Otherwise, Marshall couldn’t have been deceived. Besides, Fergus never believed Catherine alone could lead Marshall’s team to beat the Altonian Team. Everyone knew how strong the Altonian Team was worldwide. Fergus believed they couldn’t win by depending only on Catherine. It was just their wishful thinking.

Fergus executed the task smoothly, and Atticus promptly met his request. Fergus felt exhilarated upon receiving the transfer notification on his phone. However, Atticus added a new request. He wanted Fergus to keep a close eye on Marshall’s team. He asked Fergus to report promptly and intervene if necessary.

Reading this, Fergus wore a contemptuous smirk. To him, Atticus was a timid person who lacked courage and acted in fear.

Even Catherine, the strongest in Marshall’s team, fell into a trap. With the rest of the team, Fergus believed any random team could outclass them.

He found Atticus worrying about not securing the championship downright laughable.

Nevertheless, considering Atticus’s generosity with money, Fergus decided to help inquire. He phoned one of his team members and asked about Eamon’s and the others’ situation. Though finding Fergus’s sudden call odd, the teammate brushed it off and assumed it was a school-related concern, just like Fergus said.

“Professor Lynch, Eamon, and the others are training as usual. It’s just that the junior student, Marlon, seems sick. He struggles with some illness, lying in the dorm, unwilling to move,” the teammate replied.

Fergus immediately perked up and asked eagerly, “Have you visited him?”

“We did. He’s truly ill and weak. For him, even standing up is a challenge, let alone the match.”

Suppressing his excitement, Fergus made a few perfunctory remarks before hanging up. Once off the phone, he promptly informed Atticus.

If even the last backup was out of commission, Fergus was curious to see how Marshall would turn the tables this time.

In the hospital room, Catherine glanced at the report while casually enjoying the fruits prepared by Branden. She felt comfortable and content. However, her ease didn’t rub off on Marshall sitting beside her.

Marshall felt upset now. He couldn’t emulate Catherine’s composure. In her presence, he didn’t seem like a professor, feeling more like an inexperienced kid. Sometimes, he even felt ashamed of himself.

“Catherine…” Marshall called out.

Catherine paused. Then, she picked up a piece of fruit and offered it to him. ” Professor Hartley, have some fruit. It’ll cool you down.”

Marshall took a bite and was surprised by how good the seemingly ordinary fruit tasted. It momentarily distracted him and almost made him forget what he wanted to ask Catherine.

Before he could remember, Catherine already had news to share. She said, ” Professor Hartley, it’s settled.”

Catherine had everything under control regarding Fergus’ situation. Everything was set for the match tomorrow. Once the match ended, all of this would be over, too.

When someone else reported in that tone, Marshall would have been furious. But with Catherine, it was different..

After Marshall heard Catherine’s response, his tense heart immediately eased. He understood Catherine’s character. If she said it was okay, then it was.

“Well. I’m going back for a hot shower. I need to rest up. Keep going through the materials. I’m off.” Marshall waved as he left. Seeing his fondness for the fruit from earlier, Catherine instructed him to take some along.

Branden arranged for these fruits to be delivered daily. Catherine couldn’t finish them all, so if Marshall liked them, he might as well take them. They were just fruits, nothing significant, and Marshall didn’t overthink it. He grabbed them as he was pleased with the taste.

Back at the hotel, Marshall encountered some experts from the Agricultural Sciences Institute. They eyed the fruits he was carrying, which struck Marshall as odd. After all, the Agricultural Sciences Institute wasn’t keen on such things, yet today, they were curious about his fruits.

After inquiring, Marshall learned these fruits were the latest varieties developed in Janikon, which were priced astonishingly high. Just the grapes he had devoured earlier were sold individually in Janikon, each costing more than one hundred dollars.

Understanding the situation, Marshall nearly bit his tongue in shock. Reflecting on his voracious consumption earlier, he realized it was equal to his entire month’s salary.

Knowing the truth, Marshall couldn’t help but think inwardly, “Damn capitalists! Envy-inducing bunch, aren’t they?”

Chapter 738 The Finals

The highly anticipated Bide Cup finals finally kicked off, and the reigning champion for several consecutive seasons, Ace Team from Alton, arrived at the hotel for the event.

This time, Atticus led the team. He had recently gained fame in Alton for several groundbreaking research projects. Despite being a guiding professor at Ellinos Academy, he was surprisingly expelled from the institution some time ago.

Just when everyone thought Atticus might be down for the count, he rose back up with a few genius-level research projects that caused a sensation in the industry. He caught the attention of the backers behind the Ace Team and swiftly transitioned to become the mentor of the Ace Team.

The industry held high hopes for this new mentor. Their confidence in him mirrored their confidence in today’s competition. Whether it was the expert judges or the spectators watching the matches, everyone unanimously believed that the Ace Team would continue their championship streak.

Despite the impressive showings of the Styre Team in the past two rounds, they were merely compared to regular teams. Those teams didn’t stand a chance against the Ace Team.

Everyone knew the Ace Team’s prowess, and there was hardly any doubt about their potential victory. The Styre Team might have had luck on their side in the previous two rounds, but they wouldn’t have the same fortune this time.

As the chair of the competition, Richard went through his routine of visiting each team’s resting area before the final match. As he entered the Styre Team’s lounge, he unexpectedly came across Catherine. Unlike others nervously reviewing, Catherine sat quietly in a corner. Her small face was covered by a peaked cap, making it impossible to discern her features.

Even though the news was kept under wraps, as the chair, Richard still got wind of what happened within the competition grounds. He knew Catherine had been poisoned by a student from Styre University, which led to her absence during the second round.

He had presumed Catherine would continue to be absent from the finals. After all, he heard she had been staying in the hospital and only woke up two days ago. However, she was back at the venue now. Indeed, anything seemed possible when it came to Catherine.

“Catherine, how are you feeling now?”

At the sound of these words, Catherine opened her eyes and lifted the brim of her cap to look up.

Seeing her silence, Richard, who was seemingly accustomed to it, took a seat on a nearby stool. “Doesn’t seem like you’ve fully recovered yet?”

“Just a bit tired,” Catherine replied faintly.

Richard sighed lightly. He utterly despised the act of poisoning someone behind their back, but in the industry, this wasn’t the first instance. Higher- ups exerted their influence, which left him powerless.

Seeing Catherine in this weakened state tugged at his heartstrings. ” Catherine, the Ace Team’s strength is formidable. Their consistent championship wins aren’t solely due to Alton’s power but also their own remarkable abilities.”

The members of the Ace Team were elites selected on a global scale. Even a substitute from their team could lead another team. It was this intimidating strength that upheld their repeated victories.

Catherine remained composed. Her eyes darkened as she looked at Richard coldly. “What exactly are you trying to say?”

Richard hesitated and then voiced his thoughts. He said, “Catherine, perhaps you should withdraw.”

Richard wondered why Catherine attempted the impossible. If Catherine were in good health and at her peak, he would wholeheartedly support her. Even if they were to lose, they would lose with honor.

However, based on Catherine’s current situation, it felt like she was pushing herself. And it seemed that she hadn’t fully recovered from a serious illness. Richard didn’t want her risking her body for an impossible task. It simply wasn’t worth it.

Upon hearing Richard’s suggestion, Catherine sneered and replied with sarcasm. “You think I’m destined to lose?”

Richard didn’t want to divulge the truth to Catherine. But in his eyes, the odds of winning this battle were slim for Catherine.

From his gaze, Catherine saw it all. She didn’t argue. She lowered her cap and retreated into her own world to continue resting.

Seeing this, Richard had no choice but to leave. He had his own tasks to tend to, and deep down, he knew he couldn’t persuade Catherine. Once she made a decision, no one could change her mind.

After Richard left, Marshall came over and briefed everyone on the competition details. Catherine stood up after listening and headed toward the restroom.

At the restroom’s entrance, Catherine encountered an old acquaintance. Atticus, who was impeccably dressed in a suit, had reverted to his former pompous self. He sported a smug grin and seemed to have been waiting there for a while.

He glanced at Catherine with a meaningful look and then scrutinized her carefully. “Catherine, long time no see!”

Catherine stared coldly at him and replied, “This greeting is more fitting for friends. And you’re not qualified for that.”

Catherine mockingly implied that he didn’t even have the qualifications to be her friend. Atticus was livid. He swallowed his rage as he thought Catherine’s behavior was just bravado.

“Catherine, you can say whatever you want now. Your tongue might still be sharp, but you’ll only have tears after this competition ends. However, if you don’t want to lose too miserably, there’s a way out,” Atticus said.

He lifted one leg and placed it in front of Catherine. He stared at Catherine with his scornful eyes and said mockingly, “Come on. Kneel and beg at my feet here. Then I might persuade my team to go easy on you and give you a chance.”

Catherine stepped forward with a cold expression. Just when Atticus thought Catherine was about to kneel, she abruptly lifted her foot and forcefully struck his groin with her knee. Leaning in close to his ear, she cursed, “Fuck off…”

A moment of eerie silence ensued. Then, it was shattered by Atticus’s screams that echoed through the restroom, which started everyone inside.

Catherine patted her knee, cast a cold glare at the writhing Atticus on the floor, and then left the scene.

Catherine emitted an aura of coldness and had a fierce expression.

She thought inwardly, “Damn it! What the hell are these people thinking? Why do they all assume I will lose? Since they are all so eager for me to lose, I’ll win just to prove them wrong.”

Chapter 739 Interests Came First

Before the match began, Branden went backstage and found Catherine.

No pep talk. No worries or anxiety. He was calm, as if he was only visiting his girlfriend before class with a box full of food. The box contained everything that Catherine loved to eat, including bread, fruits, and small snacks.

Just a few minutes before the match began, Catherine picked some small snacks and stuffed them into her mouth, eating them slowly.

Branden accompanied her so quietly, as if someone would support her no matter what she did.

The phone buzzed. The caller ID showed it was a call from Marshall. Catherine knew he called to urge her to go back. She did not pick it up.

She glanced at her watch. It was about time. She was ready to go to the match. Before she stood up, she asked Branden, “Are you approaching the Hacker Alliance?”

Branden looked at her gently and nodded slightly. He had made it clear long ago that he had no secrets with Catherine. As long as she wanted to know, he would tell her everything.

He reached out to touch her hair, rubbing it gently. “Focus on your competition. I’ll tell you about it when the match is over.”

“Okay.” With that, Catherine turned and left the restroom.

After she returned to the team, everyone officially stepped onto the stage for the final.

In fact, the team had some objections to Catherine’s participation in the finals. Since the last time, Viola Vence and another senior boy had an argument with Zobber in the hospital, she had been bearing a grudge against Catherine. After she returned to the team, she complained to the team members and even added fuel to the flames to smear Catherine in various ways. They felt that Marshall was partial to Catherine and wanted her to stand out.

Words spread quickly. But neither did Catherine or Marshall put a stop to it. Since no one was stopping her, Viola became more unbridled. Before, Catherine’s expertise was enough to convince them. There was no one better than her in the entire team, and it was understandable for Marshall to favor her. Ability spoke for itself.

But now, there was Marlon, who everyone on the team also recognized after leading them to win with a comeback in the second round of the match.

Although Marlon had never competed with Catherine, no one could say for sure that Catherine was better than him.

Things were different when there was a backup. After the senior fanned up the flames, the vibe in the team changed. Before the match, someone came to Marshall and asked, “Professor Hartley, I don’t think Catherine is actively participating in the competition. I’m not sure if it’s because she hasn’t fully recovered yet. Why don’t we replace her with Marlon? Would it be better?”

Hearing what his team member said before the match, Marshall’s heart sank instantly. He realized that the team spirit he was so proud of was gone.

Finally, someone spoke up, and the others joined him and gave the same advice. Viola stepped up when others had foreshadowed. She pointed at Catherine and said, “Professor Hartley, we think it would be better if you put Marlon up for the game, for the glory and those who worked hard. Don’t you want us to win?”

The words “win” made people lose their heads. Under such an atmosphere, many people began to waver.

Marshall pursed his lip and remained silent. Eamon, standing aside, was quite mad. He wanted to step up for Catherine but got held back by others.

Catherine stood there silently with a sneer on her face. She looked aloof and distant. In the face of interests, relations were insignificant.

Finally, Amelia could not bear to watch anymore. She was responsible for backing up the team. She stepped out and faced Viola, pointing at her and shouting in her face. “Why don’t we just put you up for the game? Why don’t you win the trophy for us? We will all applaud you.”

Viola knew Amelia and Catherine were close. She sneered. “Everybody knows you are Catherine’s henchman.”

Saying that to Amelia’s face was insulting. Many people looked stunned when hearing this.

Amelia paused out of shock. Then she sneered. She finally figured out that interests came first.

Since they did not care about the fig leaf, she might as well make it clear. She was not qualified to be in the lab anyway. If they wanted to kick her out, that was fair. But she had to spit out what was on her mind. She could not bear it anymore.

So, Amelia grabbed Catherine’s hand. Her eyes swept over everyone with disdain and pride. Some people avoided eye contact with her because of a guilty conscience.

Then, Amelia pointed at the crowd and cursed, “Look at you, top students of the world. You are no better than parasites. You’re just a bunch of leeches cadging off others! The laboratory once we were so proud of is now rotting.” Many people were dissatisfied with being pointed at and scolded by Amelia. In their eyes, Amelia got into the lab through the back door. So, she should be quiet and obedient. How did she dare curse everyone?

But Amelia did not care about what they thought of her. She fixed her eyes on Viola and continued, “You are right about one thing. I’m Catherine’s henchman because she deserves it. Are you as capable as her?”

Amelia interrupted her while Viola tried to answer her question. “Shut up if you are not. Or you are just humiliating yourself.” After that, Amelia turned to the crow and said, And which one of you is capable of leading the team to win even one round of the match? Wordless? Guess I’m right to call you leeches.

“Think about the oath wall you saw before stepping into the laboratory. Science is experiences summarized through repeated failures. But what about you? You have the best resources, but instead of working hard, you count on others. Even if you win, does this championship have anything to do with you? Do you win it by yourself? Rely on others to get fame and fortune. How respectable is that!”

Everyone was speechless after hearing what Amelia said. They lowered their heads and remained silent. They only wanted to win the championship and make a name for themselves, but they never thought that it would be impossible for them to achieve this championship on their own.

Marshall, who had been silent for a long time, stood up. At this moment, he seemed to be a few years older.

He stood before everyone, his face turning blue, his expression somewhat listless, and he even felt a slight tremble when speaking. “I’m sorry to tell everyone that I was wrong. My education was a failure.”

Chapter 740 The Final Stage

The public confession of Marshall made everyone tremble. No one expected him to say this. After all, he was always proud.

They looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

This was the first time Eamon saw Marshall being so angry for all these years.

“Professor Hartley,” said Eamon. Marshall waved his hand at him to stop him. “Since you’re not interested in playing, there’s no need to compete in this final. We’re losing anyway, so why bother playing? Am I right?”

How ironic was that? The most shameful thing was not to be a loser but a deserter!

Hearing what Marshall said, everyone looked at him with disbelief and exclaimed in surprise. “Professor!”

Marshall squared his shoulders and looked at the crowd firmly. “I’ve made up my mind. I will face the consequences by myself. I won’t stop you if you still want to compete by yourselves.”

To compete by themselves? Was it a joke? Viola did not expect things to go this far. She only wanted Catherine out.

The staff came over and over again to urge them to get on the stage, but Marshall had no intention of going up. Finally, Catherine, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up. “Those who still want to finish the competition, please stand up.”

They did not know what Catherine meant and looked up at her.

Catherine’s gaze fell on Eamon. She asked, “Eamon, do you still want to compete in the game?”

Eamon hesitated for a moment and then stood up firmly. “As far as I’m concerned, I worked hard for several years to gain the chance to be here. Even if I lose the game, I want to lose it with dignity. I may lose because I’m not good enough, not because I’m a coward. 11

With what Eamon said, more teammates stood up. “We are in!”

Catherine looked at them and counted. There were eight people, including her. That would do. She waved at them and said, “Let’s go.”

Eamon was dumbfounded, not knowing what she meant. “Catherine, what do you mean?”

Catherine knew Eamon very well. He was a nice person, but he could be garrulous.

“No more words. Just follow me,” answered Catherine.

Marshall sighed and said to Eamon, ” Eamon, listen to Catherine.”

With what Marshall said, Eamon had no hesitation and followed Catherine all the way. Led by Catherine, the eight people stood on the stage for the final.

Viola looked at Catherine with disbelief. Things had developed so fast. “Is Catherine crazy? If she wants to bring disgrace and shame upon herself, go ahead. Why did she involve others in this?”

Hearing this, Amelia sneered. “Is she crazy? Or is she putting up a desperate fight? I believe we all have the answer. Of course, compared to Catherine’s recklessness, I admire your weakness. You are so much more respectable than Catherine to come all the way here and chicken out at the last minute.”

What Amelia said was like a hammer banging on everyone. Those who had stayed struggled for a while. But this was a game impossible to win. They did not dare to stand on the stage and be mocked by everyone.

Amelia did not want to waste her time with a bunch of cowards. She went out to watch Catherine’s game.

Everyone was stunned when Catherine and the Styre Team were on the stage. A live commentator was arranged for the final, and the commentator immediately brought the camera to the front of the team for the final interview.

“Styre Team, where is the other half of your team? With less than one minute, the match will begin. If they can not make it on the stage, they will be disqualified,” said the commentator.

Eamon hesitated and stood up. “This is all of us.”

The commentator looked at the Styre Team shockingly and even counted himself. “There are only eight of you. Are you sure this is all?”

No one answered him. But the expressions on the Styre Team member’s faces told him he was right about the number. “You are facing the defending champion, the Ace Team. Are you sure you have enough people?” the commentator joked.

The tease in the commentator’s words was obvious. The Styre Team stood no chance of defeating the Ace Team, even with a whole crew. Not to mention only eight people now. They might as well give up.

And Catherine answered his question with only one word, “Positive.”

Hearing what Catherine said, the commentator’s jaw dropped to the floor. This was impossible. He knew Catherine was outstanding in her team, but the odds of the Styre Team winning over the Ace Team were zero.

So, the commentator joked about the Styre Team on the stage. “Catherine, what makes you so confident? Do you have any advanced strategies? Why don’t you share with us and do a bit of trash talk to your opponents?”

The original intention of the commentator was to make fun of Catherine and mock the incompetence of the Styre Team, elevating the atmosphere to a climax. But he didn’t expect Catherine to take it seriously.

Catherine took the microphone from his hand, her cold gaze locked on the members of the Ace Team. With only three words, she made everyone present feel her determination. “You are doomed.”

With that, she passed the microphone to the commentator and walked into a glass chamber with other teammates, ready for the game.

The commentator was intimidated by Catherine just now, and now he had come to his senses. To adjust the awkward atmosphere, the commentator sneered and joked. “The Styre Team was humorous. Let’s see how the Ace Team is doomed.”

The audience burst into thunderous laughs. Because no one believed the Ace Team would lose. There could only be one champion, and that would be the Ace Team.

The competition officially started.

Eamon and the others were all dumbfounded when they received the experiment topic.

They had predicted the topic in the final might be trickier. But they did not expect it to be so hard. Only the Ace Team could solve a problem like this.

Catherine glanced at the topic, which was indeed quite challenging. However, this was not a big deal for her. “Don’t stand there. Let’s start. I’ll assign tasks. Everyone takes action.”

Eamon found that Catherine was not talkative usually, but when she spoke up, she sounded convincing. She was born to be a leader. What she said was like an order, making others do as she said.

Atticus was found in the bathroom and pushed out in a wheelchair. He was supposed to be sent to the hospital. But he insisted on staying. He wanted to witness Catherine’s loss, to see her defeated by his team on the stage for the final.

When he saw Catherine appearing on the stage with only seven people, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

He thought, ‘I thought Catherine had secret weapons. But she did not even have enough people. It’s ridiculous. How is she going to defeat my team with an incomplete team? She is going to lose. I may rest quietly and wait for the victory bell to ring.’